Nucleic Acids Encoding a Mammalian Raptor Polypeptide and Uses Therefor

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to isolated raptor nucleic acid molecules of mammalian origin (e.g., human) and complements, portions and variants thereof. Another aspect of the invention are isolated raptor polypeptides of mammalian origin and portions thereof, and antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof that specifically bind a raptor polypeptide. The present invention also relates to constructs and host cells comprising the nucleic acid molecules described herein. In addition, the present invention relates to uses of the nucleic acid and polypeptide molecules provided herein.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/900,289 filed Oct. 7, 2010, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/788,024 filed Apr. 18, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/437,421, filed May 13, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/378,153, filed May 14, 2002. The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The invention was supported, in whole or in part, by a grant R01 AI47389 from the National Institutes of Health. The Government has certain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Increasing evidence indicates that in eukaryotes cell growth (mass accumulation) is finely regulated in response to environmental and developmental conditions and can be deranged in human diseases such as cancer and diabetes (reviewed by Dixon and Fordham-Skelton, Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 1:1 (1998); Johnston and Gallant, Bioessays 24: 54-64 (2002); Katso et al., Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 17:615-75 (2001); Kozma and Thomas, Bioessays 24:65-71 (2002); Schmelzle and Hall, Cell 103:253-62 (2000)). The rate of mass accumulation is controlled not simply by the availability of nutrients, but by signaling pathways that coordinate the activity of the cell growth machinery with nutritional, hormonal and mitogenic signals. Studies into the mechanism of action of rapamycin, an immunosuppressive and anti-cancer drug, led to the discovery of an evolutionarily conserved regulator of cell growth, the TOR (Target of Rapamycin) pathway (Brown et al., Nature 369:756-758 (1994); Chiu et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:12574-12578 (1994); Kunz et al., Cell 73:585-596 (1993); Oldham et al., Genes Dev 14:2689-94 (2000); Sabatini et al., Cell 78:35-43 (1994); Sabers et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270:815-822. (1995); Zhang et al., Genes Dev 14:2712-24 (2000)). The complex of rapamycin with its receptor, FKBP12, binds directly to TOR and perturbs its function in a poorly understood fashion (Brown et al., Nature 377:441-446 (1995); Burnett et al., PNAS 95:1432-1437 (1998); Peterson et al., Biol Chem 275:7416-23 (2000); Zheng et al., Cell 82:121-130 (1995)). TOR is a member of the PIK-related family of proteins (Keith and Schreiber, Science 270:50-5 (1995)) that share homology with the catalytic domain of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K), but appear to function as serine/threonine rather than lipid kinases. Studies in several organisms have shown that the TOR pathway regulates a variety of processes contributing to cell growth, including initiation of mRNA translation, ribosome synthesis, expression of metabolism-related genes, autophagy and cytoskeletal reorganization (recently reviewed by Schmelzle and Hall, Cell 103:253-62 (2000) and by Gingras et al., Genes Dev 15:807-26 (2001)). By interfering with the function of mammalian TOR, rapamycin inhibits progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle in various cell types. Because of these anti-proliferative effects, rapamycin is a clinically valuable drug that is currently used to block immune rejection of transplanted organs (Saunders et al., Kidney Int. 59:3-16 (2001)) and in trials for the treatment of cancer (Dudkin et al., Clin. Cancer Res 7:1758-64 (2001); Hidalgo and Rowinsky, Oncogene 19, 6680-6 (2000)) and for the prevention of restenosis after angioplasty (Sousa et al., Circulation 104:2007-11 (2001)).

Mammalian TOR, mTOR (also known as RAFT1 or FRAP), phosphorylates at least two regulators of protein synthesis: S6K1 (formerly called p70 ribosomal S6 kinase) and an inhibitor of translation initiation, the eIF-4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) (Brunn et al., Science 277, 99-101 (1997); Burnett et al., PNAS 95:1432-1437 (1998); Hara et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272, 26457-63 (1997); Isotani et al., J Biol Chem 2 74:34493-8 (1999)). In mammalian cells, amino-acid deprivation leads to the dephosphorylation of both S6K1 and 4E-BP1 and to decreased rates of protein synthesis, effects that are rapidly reversed by the re-addition of amino acids (Fox et al., American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology 274:43-1 (1998); Hara et al., J Biol Chem 273:14484-94 (1998)). Among amino acids, changes in leucine levels alone are sufficient to regulate the phosphorylation state and activity of both downstream components of the mTOR pathway (Hara et al., J Biol Chem 273:14484-94 (1998); Lynch et al., J. Cell Biochem. 77:234-51 (2000)). In addition to amino acid levels, mitochondrial function (Xu et al., Diabetes 50:353-60 (2001)), glycolysis (Dennis et al., Science 294:1102-5 (2001)), and cell stress (Parrott and Templeton, J. Biol. Chem. 274:24731-6. (1999)) regulate S6K1, as do growth factors, such as insulin (Lawrence and Brunn, Prog. Mol. Subcell. Biol. 26:1-31 (2001)).

Despite extensive efforts, how nutrients regulate the mTOR signaling pathway remains poorly understood. In particular, stimuli that activate (e.g. amino acids) or inhibit (e.g. mitochondrial uncouplers) downstream effectors of mTOR, such as S6K1 and 4E-BP1, fail to change the in vitro kinase activity of mTOR (Dennis et al., Science 294:1102-5 (2001); Hara et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272:26457-63 (1997)).

Thus, a greater understanding of mTOR/RAFT1/FRAP, a central component of a signaling pathway that modulates cell growth in response to nutrients and hormones and which is the target of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin, would be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of cell growth disorders such as cancer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As shown herein, in vivo mTOR exists in a stoichiometric complex with raptor, a novel, evolutionarily conserved protein that plays at least two roles in the mTOR pathway. Raptor is required for mTOR protein expression, nutrient-stimulated signaling to the downstream effector S6K1, and maintenance of cell size. The association of raptor with mTOR also negatively regulates the mTOR kinase activity. Conditions that repress the pathway, such as nutrient deprivation and mitochondrial uncoupling, stabilize the mTOR-raptor association and inhibit the kinase activity. Overexpression of wild-type raptor mimics nutrient deprivation, causing the formation of a stable mTOR-raptor complex with decreased mTOR kinase activity. Thus, raptor is a missing component of the TOR pathway that through its association with mTOR adjusts the rate cell of growth to nutrient levels.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complement of SEQ ID NO: 1. In one embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes an amino acid sequence comprises SEQ ID NO: 2. In another embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complement of SEQ ID NO: 1. In a particular embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule that comprises a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a complement of SEQ ID NO: 1, encodes a mammalian raptor protein.

The present invention also relates to an isolated polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO: 1. In one embodiment, the isolated polypeptide has an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2.

The present invention also relates to an expression construct comprising SEQ ID NO:1. In one embodiment, SEQ ID NO: 1 in the expression construct is operably linked to a regulatory sequence.

Another aspect of the invention is a host cell comprising an isolated nucleic acid described herein. In one embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid is operably linked to a regulatory sequence.

Mammalian raptor polypeptide can be produced in a method comprising culturing a host cell comprising an isolated nucleic acid described herein under conditions in which the raptor polypeptide is produced. The method can further comprise isolating the raptor polypeptide from the cell. The present invention also relates to an isolated raptor polypeptide produced by the method.

The present invention also relates to an antibody (e.g., polyclonal antibody, monoclonal antibody) or antigen binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to a mammalian raptor polypeptide, wherein the mammalian raptor polypeptide is encoded by an isolated nucleic acid that encodes SEQ ID NO: 2. In one embodiment, the antibody recognizes an epitope from about amino acid 985 to about amino acid 1001 of SEQ ID NO: 2.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying a nucleic acid that encodes a mammalian raptor polypeptide in a sample comprising contacting the sample with a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 under conditions in which hybridization occurs between SEQ ID NO: 1 and the nucleic acid in the sample using high stringency conditions. The nucleic acid which hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 1 under high stringency conditions is identified, thereby identifying a nucleic acid that encodes a mammalian raptor polypeptide in a sample.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying a mammalian raptor polypeptide in a sample comprising contacting the sample with an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to a mammalian raptor polypeptide wherein the mammalian raptor polypeptide is encoded by an isolated nucleic acid that encodes SEQ ID NO: 2. The polypeptide which specifically binds to the antibody is identified, thereby identifying a mammalian raptor polypeptide in a sample.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 with mTOR protein under conditions in which the raptor protein interacts with the mTOR protein, with an agent to be assessed. The extent to which raptor interacts with mTOR in the presence of the agent to be assessed is determined, wherein if the extent to which raptor interacts with mTOR is altered in the presence of the agent compared to the extent to which raptor interacts with mTOR in the absence of the agent, then the agent alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a host cell which comprises isolated nucleic acid that encodes a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed. The growth rate and/or size of the host cell can then be assessed, wherein an altered growth rate and/or size of the host cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying an agent that inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a host cell which comprises isolated nucleic acid that encodes a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed. The growth rate and/or size of the host cell is then assessed, wherein a decrease in growth rate and/or size of the host cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein. In one embodiment, the growth rate or size of the cell can be assessed by measuring phosphorylation of a regulator of protein synthesis selected from the group consisting of: S6 kinase 1, 4E-BP1 and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the growth rate or size is assessed by measuring binding of the mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying an agent that enhances interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a host cell which comprises isolated nucleic acid that encodes a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed. The growth rate and/or size of the host cell is then assessed, wherein an increase in growth rate and/or size of the host cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent enhances interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

The present invention provides a method of altering the growth and/or size of a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that alters interaction of raptor protein with mTOR protein. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of enhancing growth rate and/or size of a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that inhibits interaction of mammalian raptor protein with mammalian TOR protein. The agent can be, for example, exogenous nucleic acid that inhibits activity of a mammalian raptor protein. In one embodiment, the exogenous nucleic acid can result in overexpression of mammalian raptor protein in the cell. In one embodiment, the exogenous nucleic acid is mRNA that specifically targets and destroys the mammalian raptor protein. In a particular embodiment, the mRNA that specifically targets and destroys the mammalian raptor protein comprises pairs of oligoribonucleotides which correspond to nucleotides from about nucleotide 1531 to about nucleotide 1551 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of inhibiting growth rate and/or size of a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that enhances interaction of mammalian raptor protein with mammalian TOR protein. The agent can be, for example, exogenous nucleic acid that enhances activity of a mammalian raptor protein.

The present invention also relates to a method of altering kinase activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method of enhancing kinase activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of inhibiting kinase activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that enhances interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR.

The present invention also relates to a method of treating cancer in an individual comprising administering to the individual an agent that enhances an interaction of raptor protein with mTOR protein.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell comprising contacting a lysate of the cell with a reversible crosslinker (e.g., dithiobis(succinmidylpropionate) (DSP)) thereby forming a crosslink between proteins that associate with mTOR within the cell. Proteins that are associated by the crosslink are separated from the lysate, thereby identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell. In one embodiment, the proteins that are associated by the crosslink are separated from the lysate using an antibody that specifically binds one of the proteins (e.g., mTOR). The method can further comprise reducing the crosslink between the proteins using a reducing agent (e.g., dithiothreitol) and isolating the proteins.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell, comprising preparing a lysate of the cell with a buffer comprising a detergent other than Triton (e.g., CHAPS), thereby preserving an association between the proteins. The proteins that are associated are then separated from the lysate, thereby identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell. The method can further comprise isolating the proteins that are associated from one another. In one embodiment, the buffer comprises about 0.05% to about 2% CHAPS. In a particular embodiment, the buffer comprises about 0.3% CHAPS and can further comprise 120 mM NaCl. In one embodiment a crosslinker is not used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

FIGS. 1A-1C are the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) of human raptor.

FIG. 2 is the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2) of human raptor.

FIGS. 3A-3C are gels which identify a 150 kDa mTOR-associated protein.

FIG. 3A is an autoradiograph of SDS-PAGE analysis of mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from metabolically labeled HEK293T cells lysed in the absence (−) or presence (+) of the chemical cross-linker DSP, or from lysates treated with DSP 30 minutes after lysis (30′+). A 150 kDa protein is present only in immunoprecipitates prepared with an anti-mTOR antibody and not with antibodies recognizing the EGF receptor (EGFR), the 110 kDa catalytic subunit of PI-3-kinase (PI3K p110), the ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K1), actin, or lamin. Bands representing EGFR and PIK3 are visible on the autoradiograph, while S6K1, actin and lamin have run off the gel.

FIG. 3B is a silver stained SDS-PAGE analysis of mTOR immunoprecipitates isolated from cells lysed in the absence (−) or presence (+) of DSP. Quantitation of the bands corresponding to mTOR and p150 reveals a ratio of 1.0 mTOR to 0.84 p150.

FIG. 3C is a gel showing near stoichiometric amounts of mTOR and p150 in mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from cells metabolically labeled to equilibrium. Quantitation of the bands correspond to mTOR and p150 reveals, after normalization to the methionine content of each protein, a ratio of 0.92 mTOR to 1.0 p150.

FIGS. 4A-4E show that raptor is an evolutionarily conserved protein and is widely expressed in human tissues in a similar pattern to mTOR.

FIG. 4A is a schematic representation of structural features of Raptor showing the conserved domain organization of raptor homologues from five eukaryotic species. Boxes labeled 1, 2, and 3 are sequence blocks that make up the Raptor N-terminal Conserved (RNC) domain and are 67-79% similar in the species shown. Block 2 of the S. cerevisiae raptor has a small insertion that makes it slightly larger than the same block in the other species. The seventh WD-40 repeat of C. elegans raptor is indicated with an empty green box because it lacks the prototypical Trp/Asp pattern. The accession numbers for the raptor homologues are: D. melanogaster (AAF46122), S. pombe (P87141), S. cerevisiae (P38873), C. elegans (T19183), A. thaliana (NP_(—)187497).

FIGS. 4B-4D is an amino acid sequence alignment of the sequence blocks (labeled Block 1, Block 2, and Block 3) of the RNC domain from the H. sapiens (SEQ ID NO: 3 (Block 1); SEQ ID NO: 4 (Block 2); SEQ ID NO: 5 (Block 3)), D. melanogaster (SEQ ID NO: 6 (Block 1); SEQ ID NO: 7 (Block 2); SEQ ID NO: 8 (Block 3)), S. pombe (SEQ ID NO: 9 (Block 1); SEQ ID NO: 10 (Block 2); SEQ ID NO: 11 (Block 3)), S. cerevisiae (SEQ ID NO: 12 (Block 1); SEQ ID NO: 13 (Block 2); SEQ ID NO: 14 (Block 3)), C. elegans (SEQ ID NO: 15 (Block 1); SEQ ID NO: 16 (Block 2); SEQ ID NO: 17 (Block 3)), and A. thaliana (SEQ ID NO: 18 (Block 1); SEQ ID NO: 19 (Block 2); SEQ ID NO: 20 (Block 3)) species in FIG. 4A, showing identical (*), conserved (double dot) and partially conserved (single dot) residues. A ClustalX color scheme is used to depict characteristics of amino acids (Thompson et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 25:4876-4882, (1997)).

FIG. 4E is a northern blot analysis of a multiple human tissue blot (Clontech) for raptor, mTOR and β-actin showing similar patterns of expression for raptor and mTOR.

FIGS. 5A-5E show specific in vivo interactions between endogenous raptor and mTOR and recombinant versions of both proteins.

FIG. 5A is a western blot analysis showing levels of raptor (bottom panel) and mTOR (top panel) in immunoprecipitates prepared with two different mTOR antibodies or 5 control antibodies. mTOR Ab1 and Ab2 are anti-peptide antibodies produced against amino acids 1-18 and 221-237, respectively, of human mTOR.

FIG. 5B is a western blot showing that in the absence of the cross-linker, cell lysis conditions affect the mTOR-raptor association. Western blot showing levels of raptor (bottom panel) and mTOR (top panel) in mTOR immunoprecipitates from cells lysed in buffers containing the indicated concentrations of Triton X-100 or CHAPS. Increasing concentrations (100, 200, 300 mM) of NaCl in the lysis buffer dissociate raptor from mTOR.

FIG. 5C is a western blot showing that Raptor and mTOR associate in cell lines derived from several human tissues. mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from lysates (1 mg total protein) of the indicated cell types were analyzed as in FIG. 5B.

FIG. 5D is a western blot showing that endogenous mTOR interacts with recombinant raptor but not γ-tubulin. Western blot showing levels of mTOR (top panel) and myc-raptor and myc-tubulin (bottom panel) in anti-myc immunoprecipitates from HEK293T cells transfected with 100 ng of either a myc-raptor- or a myc-γ-tubulin-encoding plasmid.

FIG. 5E is a western blot showing that recombinant mTOR and raptor interact in transfected HEK293T cells. Western blot showing levels of HA-raptor (top panel) and myc-mTOR and myc-γ-tubulin (middle panel) in anti-myc immunoprecipitates prepared from HEK293T cells transfected with 1 ug of a plasmid encoding HA-raptor and 100 ng of either a myc-raptor- or a myc-γ-tubulin-encoding plasmid. HA-raptor expression levels in the cell lysates used for immunoprecipitations (bottom panel).

FIGS. 6A-6B show identification of protein domains involved in the mTOR-raptor interaction.

FIG. 6A is a gel showing that Raptor interacts with the N-terminal portion of mTOR containing the HEAT repeats. Myc-tagged full-length mTOR, its indicated fragments or γ-tubulin were co-expressed in HEK293T cells with HA-raptor, and anti-myc immunoprecipitates analyzed by SDS-PAGE and anti-HA immunoblotting (top panel). Western blot showing amounts of mTOR, its fragments or γ-tubulin in the immunoprecipitates (middle panel). HA-raptor expression levels in the cell lysates used for the immunoprecipitations (bottom panel).

FIG. 6B is a schematic and a western blot showing the requirement of the complete raptor protein for the interaction with mTOR and identification of raptor mutants incapable of binding mTOR. Raptor fragments and location of raptor mutations used in this study are indicated in the schematic. Western blot analysis showing levels of mTOR (top panel) in anti-HA immunoprecipitates prepared from HEK293T cells transfected with 1 μg of plasmids encoding HA-tagged raptor, its fragments or the mutants shown in the schematic. Anti-HA western blot analysis showing levels of full-length raptor or fragments in the immunoprecipitates (bottom panel).

FIGS. 7A-7E show that Raptor participates in nutrient signaling to S6K1, maintenance of cell size and in cell growth.

FIG. 7A is a western blot showing that siRNA-induced reductions in raptor levels inhibit leucine-stimulated signaling to S6K1. HEK293T cells transfected with siRNAs targeting lamin, mTOR, or raptor, were incubated in leucine-free RPMI for 50 minutes. Cells were left unstimulated (first lane in each group of four) or stimulated for 10 minutes with increasing amounts of leucine (5.2, 16, and 52 μg/ml). Cell lysates were prepared and 20 μg of each analyzed by western blotting to determine levels of indicated proteins or protein phosphorylation states. P—S6K1 and P-PKB/Akt indicate S6K1 phosphorylated on T389 and PKB/Akt on 5473, respectively.

FIG. 7B is a bar graph showing reductions in raptor or mTOR inhibit leucine-stimulated S6K1 phosphorylation and lower protein levels of both mTOR and raptor. The graph shows mean±S.D. derived from three independent experiments performed as in FIG. 5A and quantitated by densitometry. Table shows means±S.D. (n=4) of protein levels of mTOR, raptor, S6K1, PkB/Akt, and ATM determined by densitometry from immunoblots in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 7C is a western blot and graphs showing that in actively growing HEK293T cells, reductions in the levels of raptor or mTOR reduce the phosphorylation state of S6K1 and cell size. Cells were transfected with siRNAs and the cell lysates analyzed by western blotting for mTOR, raptor, phospho-S6K1, and S6K1. Cell diameters and volumes were determined three days after transfection using a particle size counter (Coulter Multisizer II). Graphs show size distributions of cells transfected with the indicated siRNAs or treated with 20 nM rapamycin for 48 hours (red lines) overlaid on size distribution of non-transfected cells (black line). The mean±S.D. (μm) cell diameters are: non-transfected cells 15.92±0.11 (n=5); lamin siRNA cells 15.89±0.10 (n=5); mTOR siRNA 15.43±0.09 (n=6); raptor siRNA 15.45±0.07 (n=6); rapamycin treated cells 14.61±0.10 (n=5). The mean±S.D. (μL) for the cell volumes are: non-transfected cells 2111±44 (n=5); lamin siRNA cells 2099±39 (n=5); mTOR siRNA 1922±33 (n=6); raptor siRNA 1930±26 (n=6); rapamycin treated cells 1632±33 (n=5). Mean±S.D. values were obtained from the indicated numbers of independent trials in which at least 10,000 cells were analyzed per trial. The reductions in size caused by the raptor and mTOR siRNA and by rapamycin are significant to p<0.001.

FIG. 7D is a graph showing transfection of HEK293T cells with siRNA targeting raptor or mTOR reduces the capacity of cells to attain a normal mean size after emerging from a confluence-induced shrinking in cell size. Cells transfected with the indicated siRNA were grown to confluence, induced into active growth by dilution into fresh media and cell volumes determined at 1, 2, and 3 days after dilution. For comparison, non-transfected cells were treated with 20 nM rapamycin at 1 day after dilution. Shown are mean±S.D. from three independent experiments. The reductions in size caused by the raptor and mTOR siRNA are significant to p<0.01 and 0.05 at the 2 and 3 day time points, respectively.

FIG. 7E is a graph showing that transfection of HEK293T cells with siRNA targeting raptor or mTOR or treatment with rapamycin inhibits leucine-induced increases in cell size. Cells were transfected with the indicated siRNAs and the experiment performed as described herein. The growth rates were estimated as 1.85, 1.06, 1.03, and 1.02% volume per hour for the cells transfected with the lamin, mTOR, and raptor siRNAs, and for cells treated with rapamycin, respectively. Shown are mean±S.D. from samples for each time point. The reductions in size caused by the raptor and mTOR siRNAs and by rapamycin at 10 hours are significant to p<0.05.

FIGS. 8A-8E are gels showing that nutrients, mitochondrial function, and glycolysis regulate both the mTOR-raptor interaction and mTOR kinase activity.

FIG. 8A is a gel showing deprivation of amino acids, leucine, or glucose increases the stability of raptor-mTOR complex and decreases mTOR kinase activity, effects reversed by stimulation with leucine or glucose. HEK293T cells were incubated for 50 minutes in RPMI lacking amino acids (-amino acids), leucine (-leucine), or glucose (-glucose) or left untreated (control). Duplicate plates of cells deprived of leucine or glucose were stimulated for 10 minutes with 52 μg/ml leucine (−leu+leu) or 11 mM glucose (−gluc+gluc), respectively. Cells were lysed, anti-mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared, and mTOR kinase activity determined with in vitro kinase assays containing ATP-[γ-³²P] and a GST-S6K1 fusion protein (Burnett et al., PNAS 95:1432-1437 (1998)). Kinase reactions were resolved by SDS-PAGE, proteins transferred to PVDF, ³²P-incorporation into GST-S6K1 detected with autoradiography (third panel from top) and levels of mTOR (top panel) and raptor (middle panel) determined by immunoblotting. Western blot analyses of cell lysates used to prepare mTOR immunoprecipitates showing effects of nutrient conditions on the phosphorylation state and gel mobility of S6K1 in vivo (bottom two panels).

FIG. 8B is a gel showing that the kinase activity of immunoprecipitates of endogenous mTOR depends on the presence of mTOR and is sensitive to 20 μM LY294002 (LY) but not to 40 nM Protein Kinase A Inhibitor (PKI), 20 μM H-8 (H8), and 20 μM PD98059 (PD). The kinase activity of recombinant, myc-tagged mTOR (wt) is absent in the D2357E mutant (kd) and is sensitive to 20 μM LY294002 (LY).

FIG. 8C is a gel showing that mitochondrial function, glycolysis and oxidative stress regulate the mTOR-raptor interaction and the mTOR kinase activity. Cells were treated for 10 minutes with 500 mM sucrose, 1 mM H₂O₂, 1 μm valinomycin A, or 100 mM 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) or left untreated (control). mTOR kinase activity, the amounts of mTOR and raptor in mTOR immunoprecipitates, and the in vivo phosphorylation states of S6K1 were analyzed as in FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8D is a gel showing that overexpression of wild-type raptor increases the amount of the stable mTOR-raptor complex, leading to decreases in the in vitro kinase activity of mTOR and in the in vivo phosphorylation state of S6K1. HEK293T cells were transfected with 5 μg of an empty vector (prk5), a mammalian expression vector encoding wild-type raptor (raptor wt) or a mutant incapable of interacting with mTOR (raptor mut 1). mTOR activity and levels of the mTOR-raptor interaction were analyzed as in FIG. 8A. Western analyses of cell lysates used to prepare mTOR immunoprecipitates shows the effects of overexpression of wild type raptor on the phosphorylation state and gel mobility of S6K1 and amounts of expressed wild-type and mutant raptor (bottom panel).

FIG. 8E is a gel showing that overexpression of wild-type raptor increases the amount of 4E-BP1 bound to eIF-4E. Experiments were performed as in FIG. 8D except the cells were also transfected with 50 ng of a plasmid encoding myc-4E-BP1. 7-methyl-GTP-affinity chromatography and eIF-4E western blotting were performed as described in Burnett et al., PNAS, 95:1432-1437 (1998).

FIGS. 9A-9C are gels that provide evidence that the mTOR-raptor complex exists in two binding states.

FIG. 9A is a gel showing that raptor amounts in mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from cells grown in leucine-rich or -poor conditions are similar when cells are lysed in the presence of cross-linker DSP.

FIG. 9B is a gel showing that raptor mutant 5 forms an unstable complex with mTOR. Experiments were performed under nutrient-rich conditions as in FIG. 9A except that cells were transfected with 10 ng of the indicated raptor plasmid 24 hours before mTOR immunoprecipitations. Western blots show amounts of mTOR and indicated HA-raptors recovered in mTOR immunoprecipitates (top panels) prepared from cells lysed in the absence or presence of the cross-linker DSP and expression levels of the raptor mutants in the cell lysates (bottom panels).

FIG. 9C is a gel showing that the interactions of raptor mutants 4 and 5 with mTOR are not regulated by nutrients. HEK293T cells transfected with 10 ng of the indicated raptor plasmids were incubated for 50 minutes in leucine-free (−) or rich (+) media. The amounts of mTOR and HA-raptor in the mTOR immunoprecipitates were analyzed as in FIG. 9B (short exp). A longer exposure of the western blot was necessary to see that leucine levels do not regulate the residual interaction between raptor mutant 5 and mTOR (long exp).

FIGS. 10A-10C show that rapamycin destabilizes the mTOR-raptor interaction under either leucine-rich or poor conditions.

FIG. 10A is a gel showing that rapamycin added before or after cell lysis disrupts the mTOR-raptor interaction. HEK293 cells were treated for 10 min with 10 nM rapamycin, 10 nM FK506, or appropriate amounts of ethanol vehicle before cell lysis or with 10 nM rapamycin for 30 minutes after lysis. mTOR immunoprecipitates were obtained and the amounts of mTOR (top panel) and co-precipitating Raptor determined (bottom panel). The inclusion of the DSP cross-linker in the lysis buffer maintains the mTOR-raptor interaction even with rapamycin treatment.

FIG. 10B is a gel showing that rapamycin destabilizes the mTOR-raptor interaction in leucine-poor or rich conditions. HEK293 cells were treated with increasing concentrations of rapamycin (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, or 30 nM) for 20 min before (leftmost panels) or after (middle panels) incubation of cells for 30 minutes in leucine-free RPMI or after incubation for 30 minutes in leucine-rich RPMI (rightmost panels). The amount of raptor (bottom panels) coprecipitated with mTOR was quantitated, normalized to the amount obtained in the absence of rapamycin (first lane in each group) and plotted against the rapamycin concentration. The EC50 of rapamycin for dissociation of raptor from mTOR decreases from about 5 nM in the absence of leucine (irrespective of order of rapamycin addition or leucine deprivation) to about 1.5 nM in the presence of leucine (graph).

FIG. 10C is a model to explain effects of nutrients on the mTOR-raptor complex and the mTOR activity. It is propose that raptor makes a constitutive interaction with mTOR that provides a positive input to mTOR function (+) and a nutrient-sensitive interaction that inhibits the mTOR kinase activity (−). In the model, high nutrient conditions lead to the formation of the ‘unstable complex’ from the ‘stable complex’ by displacing the nutrient-sensitive interaction.

FIGS. 11A-11I show a sequence alignment of full-length sequences of raptor homologues H. sapiens (SEQ ID NO: 2), D. melanogaster (SEQ ID NO: 21), S. pombe (SEQ ID NO: 22), S. cerevisiae (SEQ ID NO: 23), C. elegans (SEQ ID NO: 24), and A. thaliana (SEQ ID NO: 25). Sequences were aligned with ClustalX v1.81 (Thompson et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 25:4876-82 (1997)) using the Gonnet series weight matrix. Both pairwise gap opening and gap extension penalties were set at 10.00 and 0.10, respectively. Multiple alignment gap opening and gap extension penalties were set at 10.00 and 0.20. Black boxes frame regions of sequence similarity. Three sequence blocks were found to be common among all six sequences, as described in FIGS. 4A-4C. Three HEAT and seven WD40-like repeats were aligned between most of the sequences. However, alignment of several of the repeats did require minor manual adjustments.

FIG. 12 is a gel showing that transfections into the same cells of the siRNAs targeting both mTOR and raptor do not have additive effects on the phosphorylation state of S6K1. Experiment was performed and analyzed as in FIG. 7C except that each plate was transfected with equal amounts of the two indicated siRNAs. For the negative control twice the total amount of lamin siRNA was used (2× lamin).

FIG. 13 is a gel showing that stimulation with insulin (200 nM for 25 minutes) of HEK293T cells cultured in serum-free media for 24 hours does not affect the mTOR-raptor association but does increase the phosphorylation level of S6K1. The amounts of mTOR and raptor in mTOR immunoprecipitates, and the in vivo phosphorylation state of S6K1 were analyzed as in FIG. 8A.

FIG. 14 is a gel showing that cell lysis conditions that destabilize the mTOR-raptor interaction increase mTOR kinase activity. mTOR kinase activity was determined in mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from cells lysed in unmodified Buffer B (see methods), or Buffer B with 200 mM NaCl (B w/NaCl), or with 0.5% Triton X-100 (B w/TX-100). Although the amounts of mTOR are the same in all the immunoprecipitates (top panel), there is an inverse correlation between the levels of raptor (middle panel) and mTOR kinase activity (bottom panel).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is based, at least in part, on the discovery that in vivo mTOR exists as a complex with one or more regulatory subunits that are lost during isolation of mTOR for in vitro assays. As shown herein, several lines of evidence support the notion that mTOR associates with other proteins: mTOR contains HEAT repeats, which are known protein-protein interaction domains; it migrates at a disproportionately large apparent molecular weight (1.5-2.0 mDa) in gel filtration chromatography; and the expression in transfected cells of mTOR fragments lacking the catalytic site has dominant negative effects on the pathway. However, conventional biochemical attempts to purify mTOR-interacting proteins have been fruitless, since, as shown herein mTOR-containing complexes are unstable under standard purification conditions.

As described herein, a purification scheme that uses a reversible chemical cross-linker to stabilize putative mTOR-containing complexes was devised. Using this strategy, raptor (Regulatory Associated Protein of mTOR), a protein that is required for nutrient signaling to S6K1 and for control of cell growth, has been discovered. The mTOR-raptor interaction also regulates the kinase activity of mTOR and is sensitive to conditions, such as nutrient availability, that signal through the pathway. Thus, provided herein is a mechanism for how nutrients regulate mTOR activity in vivo. Although rapamycin has been generally regarded as mimicking the effects of nutrient deprivation, it was found that the two conditions have opposite effects on the mTOR-raptor interaction.

As shown herein, in vivo mTOR exists in a stoichiometric complex with raptor, a novel, evolutionarily conserved protein that plays at least two roles in the mTOR pathway. Raptor is required for mTOR protein expression, nutrient-stimulated signaling to the downstream effector S6K1, and maintenance of cell size. The association of raptor with mTOR also negatively regulates the mTOR kinase activity. Conditions that repress the pathway, such as nutrient deprivation and mitochondrial uncoupling, stabilize the mTOR-raptor association and inhibit the kinase activity. Overexpression of wild-type raptor mimics nutrient deprivation, causing the formation of a stable mTOR-raptor complex with decreased mTOR kinase activity. Thus, raptor is a missing component of the TOR pathway that through its association with mTOR adjusts the rate cell of growth to nutrient levels.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to isolated raptor nucleic acid molecules of mammalian origin (e.g., human, murine (rat, mouse), bovine, feline, canine) and complements, portions and variants thereof. The present invention also relates to isolated raptor polypeptides of mammalian origin and portions thereof, and antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof that specifically bind a raptor polypeptide. The present invention also relates to constructs and host cells comprising the nucleic acid molecules described herein. In addition, the present invention relates to uses of the nucleic acid and polypeptide molecules provided herein.

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1. In another embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule encodes an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2. The Genbank Accession number for the human raptor cDNA is AY090663

As used herein “nucleic acid molecule” includes DNA (e.g., cDNA, genomic DNA, a gene), RNA (e.g., mRNA) and analogs thereof. The nucleic acid molecule can be single stranded or double stranded and can be the coding strand (sense strand) or the noncoding strand (antisense strand). The nucleic acid can include all or a portion of the coding strand and can further comprise additional non-coding sequences such as introns and non-coding 5′ and 3′ sequences (e.g., regulatory sequences).

An “isolated” nucleic acid molecule indicates that the nucleic acid molecule is in a form that is distinct from the form in which it occurs in nature. Isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention are separated from other nucleic acid molecules which are present in its natural state (e.g., free of sequences which normally flank the nucleic acid in the genome of the organism from which it is derived). In one embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule is part of a composition (e.g., a crude extract). In another embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule is substantially free from the cellular material in which it occurs, and in yet another embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule is purified to homogeneity. Various methods, such as gel electrophoresis or chromatography can be used to identify nucleic acid molecules that are substantially free from cellular materials or purified to homogeneity.

A nucleic acid molecule of the present invention can be isolated using standard recombinant or chemical methods and the sequences provided herein. For example, using all or a portion of SEQ ID NO: 1 as a hybridization probe, a raptor sequence can be isolated using standard hybridization and cloning methods (Sambrook et al., eds., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2^(nd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989). A nucleic acid of the invention can be amplified using cDNA, mRNA or genomic DNA as a template and appropriate primers according to standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology. The amplified nucleic acid can then be cloned into an appropriate vector and characterized using DNA sequence analysis. Raptor nucleic acids can also be prepared using, for example, an automated DNA synthesizer.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid molecule which is the complement of SEQ ID NO:1 or a portion thereof. A complement of SEQ ID NO: 1 is a sequence which is sufficiently complementary so that it hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 1, thereby forming a stable duplex. In a particular embodiment, the complement hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 1 and encodes a raptor polypeptide.

The nucleic acid molecule of the invention can comprise a portion of a nucleic acid sequence encoding raptor. In one embodiment, the portion is a fragment that can be used as a probe or primer. In another embodiment, the portion encodes a biologically active portion of a raptor protein. The portion of a nucleic acid sequence encoding raptor can include all or a portion of the raptor coding sequence and can further include non-coding sequences such as introns and 5′ and 3′ sequences (e.g., regulatory sequences). The nucleotide sequence determined from the cloning of the human raptor gene allows for the generation of probes and primers designed for use in identifying and/or cloning raptor homologues in other cell types, e.g., from other tissues, as well as raptor homologues from other mammals. The portion (e.g., probe/primer) can comprise a substantially purified raptor oligonucleotide. The portion is generally of a length and composition that hybridizes to all or a characteristic portion of a nucleic acid sequence under stringent conditions. The portion typically comprises a region of nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to at least about 10, and more particularly about 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550 or 1000 contiguous nucleotides of the sense or anti-sense sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or of a naturally occurring mutant of SEQ ID NO:1.

Probes based on the human raptor nucleotide sequence can be used to detect transcripts or genomic sequences encoding the same or identical proteins, or splice variants or polymorphisms of raptor. A label group (e.g., a radioisotope, a fluorescent compound, an enzyme) can be attached to the probe. Such probes can be used as a part of a diagnostic test kit to assess expression (e.g., aberrant expression) of a raptor protein in a cell or tissue sample by measuring a level of a raptor-encoding nucleic acid in a sample from an individual (e.g., detecting raptor mRNA levels or determining whether a genomic raptor gene has been mutated or deleted). For example, a nucleic acid fragment of the raptor nucleic acid sequence that can be used as a probe or primer includes the raptor N-terminal conserved (RNC) domain and/or one or more of the WD40 repeats.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a “biologically active portion of raptor” can be prepared by isolating a portion of SEQ ID NO:1 which encodes a polypeptide having a raptor biological activity, expressing the encoded portion of raptor protein (e.g., by recombinant expression in vitro) and assessing the activity of the encoded portion of raptor. A biologically active portion of raptor includes portion which, for example, interact with mTOR, participate in nutrient signaling, participate in maintenance of cell size and negatively regulate the mTOR kinase activity.

The invention further encompasses nucleic acid molecules that differ from the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 due to degeneracy of the genetic code and thus encode the same raptor protein as that encoded by the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1. For example, the present invention relates to nucleic acid sequence polymorphisms that lead to changes in the amino acid sequences of raptor which exist within a population (e.g., the human population). Such genetic polymorphism in the raptor gene may exist among individuals within a population due to natural allelic variation. As used herein, the terms “gene” and “recombinant gene” refer to nucleic acid molecules comprising an open reading frame encoding a raptor polypeptide (e.g., a mammalian raptor polypeptide). Such nucleotide variations and resulting amino acid polymorphisms in raptor that are the result of natural allelic variation and that do not alter the functional activity of raptor are within the scope of the invention.

Moreover, nucleic acid molecules encoding raptor proteins from other species (raptor homologues), which have a nucleotide sequence which differs from that of a human raptor, are within the scope of the invention. Nucleic acid molecules corresponding to natural allelic variants and homologues of the raptor cDNA of the invention can be isolated based on their identity to the human raptor nucleic acids disclosed herein using the human cDNAs, or a portion thereof, as a hybridization probe according to standard hybridization techniques under stringent hybridization conditions. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule of the present invention comprises a nucleotide sequence that is at least about 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complement thereof.

Accordingly, in another embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention is at least about 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 800, 900, 1000 or 1300 nucleotides in length and hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence, and in a particular embodiment the coding sequence, of SEQ ID NO:1 or the complement thereof. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. In a particular embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 1 and encodes a raptor polypeptide.

As used herein, the term “hybridizes under stringent conditions” is intended to describe conditions for hybridization and washing under which nucleotide sequences at least 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 99% identical to each other typically remain hybridized to each other. Such stringent conditions are known to those skilled in the art and can be found in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. (1989), 6.3.1-6.3.6. One example of stringent hybridization conditions is hybridization in 6× sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC) at about 45° C., followed by one or more washes in 0.2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50-65° C. In one embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 corresponds to a naturally-occurring nucleic acid molecule. As used herein, a “naturally-occurring” nucleic acid molecule refers to a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence that occurs in nature (e.g., encodes a natural protein).

In addition to naturally-occurring allelic variants of the raptor sequence that may exist in the population, it is known in the art that changes can be introduced by mutation into the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, thereby leading to changes in the amino acid sequence of the encoded raptor protein, without altering the functional (biological) ability of the raptor protein. For example, nucleotide substitutions leading to amino acid substitutions at “non-essential” amino acid residues can be made. Alteration of a “non-essential” amino acid residue in the wild-type sequence of raptor (e.g., the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2) will not affect the biological activity of raptor. Conversely, an “essential” amino acid residue is required for biological activity of raptor. Therefore, alteration of an essential amino acid in the wild-type sequence of raptor will affect the biological activity of raptor. Amino acid residues that are conserved among the raptor proteins of various species will likely be essential amino acids. For example, as described herein, several mutations in the RNC or WD40 domains of raptor, generated by changing evolutionarily conserved residues (FIG. 6B), eliminated the interaction with mTOR, whereas other RNC domain mutants, as well as a mutation in the region between the HEAT and WD40 repeats, did not affect it.

In one embodiment, raptor proteins of the present invention, contain at least one RNC domain. Additionally, a raptor protein also contains at least one WD40 repeat. As shown herein, such conserved domains contain essential or conserved amino acids. Other amino acid residues, however, (e.g., those that are not conserved or only semi-conserved among raptor of various species) are likely not essential for activity and thus can be altered without altering the biological activity of raptor.

Accordingly, another aspect of the invention pertains to nucleic acid molecules encoding raptor proteins that contain changes in amino acid residues that are not essential for activity. Such raptor proteins differ in amino acid sequence from SEQ ID NO:2 and retain raptor biological activity (e.g., interaction with mTOR, participation in nutrient signaling, participation in maintenance of cell size and negative regulation of the mTOR kinase activity). In one embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule includes a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein that includes an amino acid sequence that is at least about 45%, 50%, 60%, 75%, 85%, 95%, or 98% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a raptor protein having a sequence which differs from that of SEQ ID NO:2 can be created by introducing one or more nucleotide substitutions, additions or deletions into the nucleotide sequence of raptor nucleic acid molecule (SEQ ID NO:1) such that one or more amino acid substitutions, additions or deletions are introduced into the encoded protein. Mutations can be introduced by standard techniques, such as site-directed mutagenesis and PCR-mediated mutagenesis. Preferably, conservative amino acid substitutions are made at one or more predicted non-essential amino acid residues. A “conservative amino acid substitution” is one in which the amino acid residue is replaced with an amino acid residue having a similar side chain. Families of amino acid residues having similar side chains have been defined in the art. A predicted nonessential amino acid residue in raptor is preferably replaced with another amino acid residue from the same side chain family. Alternatively, mutations can be introduced randomly along all or part of a raptor coding sequence, and the resultant mutants can be screened for raptor biological activity to identify mutants that retain activity. Following mutagenesis, the encoded protein can be expressed recombinantly and the activity of the protein can be determined using methods described herein.

In a preferred embodiment, a mutant Raptor protein can be assayed for the ability to interact with mTOR, participate in nutrient signaling, participate in maintaining cell size and negatively regulate the mTOR kinase activity

The present invention also encompasses antisense nucleic acid molecules, i.e., molecules which are complementary to a sense nucleic acid encoding a raptor polypeptide, e.g., complementary to the coding strand of a double-stranded cDNA raptor molecule or complementary to an mRNA raptor sequence. The antisense nucleic acid can be complementary to an entire raptor coding strand, or to only a portion thereof, e.g., all or part of the protein coding region (or open reading frame). An antisense nucleic acid molecule can be antisense to a noncoding region of the coding strand of a nucleotide sequence encoding raptor. The noncoding regions (5′ and 3′ untranslated regions) are the 5′ and 3′ sequences which flank the coding region and are not translated into amino acids. The antisense nucleic acid molecule can be complementary to the entire coding region of raptor mRNA, but more preferably is an oligonucleotide which is antisense to only a portion of the coding or noncoding region of raptor mRNA. An antisense oligonucleotide can be, for example, about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 nucleotides in length. An antisense nucleic acid of the invention can be constructed using procedures known in the art (e.g., using chemical synthesis and enzymatic ligation reactions).

The invention also relates to isolated raptor protein or polypeptides, and portions (e.g., biologically active portions) thereof. An “isolated” or “purified” (e.g., partially or substantially) polypeptide or biologically active portion thereof is in a form that is distinct from the form in which it occurs in nature. In one embodiment, the polypeptide is part of a composition (crude extract). In another embodiment, the polypeptide is substantially free of cellular material or other contaminating proteins from the cell or tissue source from which the raptor protein is derived, or substantially free from chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized. The language “substantially free of cellular material” includes preparations of raptor protein in which the protein is separated from cellular components of the cells from which it is isolated, recombinantly produced or chemically synthesized. Such preparations of raptor protein have less than about 30%, 20%, 10%, 5% (by dry weight) of chemical precursors or non-raptor chemicals. Various methods, such as gel electrophoresis or chromatography can be used to identify polypeptides that are substantially free of cellular material. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an isolated polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO:1. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to an isolated polypeptide having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2.

The present invention also relates to portions of a raptor polypeptide. In one embodiment, the portions are biologically active portions of a raptor protein and include peptides comprising amino acid sequences sufficiently identical to or derived from the amino acid sequence of the raptor protein (e.g., the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2). Biologically active portions include a portion of the full length raptor proteins, and exhibit at least one activity of a raptor protein (e.g., interaction with mTOR, participation in nutrient signaling, participation in maintenance of cell size and negative regulation of the mTOR kinase activity). Typically, biologically active portions comprise one or more domains or regions with at least one activity of the raptor protein. A biologically active portion of a raptor protein can be a polypeptide which is, for example, at least about 10, 25, 50, 100 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 or more amino acids in length. Biologically active polypeptides include one or more identified raptor domains, e.g., RNC domain. Other biologically active portions can be prepared by recombinant techniques and evaluated for one or more of the functional activities of a native raptor protein.

Other raptor polypeptides of the present invention are substantially identical to SEQ ID NO:2, retain the functional activity of the protein of SEQ ID NO:2, yet differ in amino acid sequence due to natural allelic variation or mutagenesis. Raptor is involved in nutrient signaling and cell growth. Accordingly, a useful raptor polypeptide includes an amino acid sequence at least about 45%, preferably 55%, 65%, 75%, 85%, 95%, or 99% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 and retains the functional activity of the raptor polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2. In other instances, the raptor polypeptide has an amino acid sequence 55%, 65%, 75%, 85%, 95%, or 98% identical to the raptor RNC domain. In one embodiment, the raptor polypeptide retains a functional activity of the Raptor protein of SEQ ID NO:2.

To determine the percent identity of two amino acid sequences or of two nucleic acids, the sequences are aligned for optimal comparison purposes, wherein gaps are introduced in the sequences being compared. The amino acid residues at corresponding amino acid positions or nucleotides at corresponding nucleotide positions are then compared. When a position in a first sequence is occupied by the same amino acid residue or nucleotide as the corresponding position in a second sequence, then the molecules are identical at that position. The percent identity between the two sequences is a function of the number of identical positions shared by the sequences (e.g., % identity=# of identical positions/total # of positions×100).

As described herein, the determination of percent homology between two sequences can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm. Examples of a mathematical algorithm utilized for the comparison of two sequences is the algorithm of Karlin and Altschul (1993) Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 90: 5873-5877 and the algorithm incorporated into the NBLAST and XBLAST programs of Altschul, et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-410. Another example of a mathematical algorithm utilized for the comparison of sequences is the algorithm of Myers and Miller, CABIOS (1989).

Native raptor polypeptides can be isolated from cells or tissue sources using the purification schemes described herein. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell comprising contacting a lysate of the cell with a reversible crosslinker (e.g., dithiobis(succinmidylpropionate) (DSP)) thereby forming a crosslink between proteins that associate within the cell. Proteins that are associated by the crosslink from the lysate are then separated, thereby identifying proteins that associate within a cell. The method can further comprising reducing the crosslink (e.g., using a reducing agent such as dithiothreitol) between the proteins and isolating the proteins. In addition, the method can further comprise separating the proteins that are associated by the crosslink from the lysate using an antibody that specifically binds one of the proteins.

The present invention also relates to a method of identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell, comprising preparing a lysate of the cell with a buffer comprising a detergent other than Triton, thereby preserving an association between the proteins. The proteins that are associated are separated from the lysate, thereby identifying proteins that associate within a cell under conditions in which a crosslinker is not used. The method can further comprising isolating the proteins that are associated from one another. In one embodiment, the buffer comprises CHAPS at a concentration from about 0.05% to about 2% CHAPS. In a particular embodiment, the buffer comprises about 0.3% CHAPS. In addition, the buffer can further comprise 120 mM NaCl. In another embodiment, the method of identifying proteins that associate with mTOR within a cell is performed without the use of a crosslinker.

The present invention also provides a method of producing raptor polypeptides using recombinant DNA techniques. Alternative to recombinant expression, a raptor protein or polypeptide can be synthesized chemically using standard peptide synthesis techniques.

The invention also provides raptor chimeric or fusion proteins. As used herein, a raptor “chimeric protein” or “fusion protein” comprises a raptor polypeptide fused in-frame to an additional component (a non-raptor polypeptide). Within a raptor fusion protein, the raptor polypeptide can correspond to all or a portion of a raptor protein, preferably at least one biologically active portion of a raptor protein. The additional component can be fused to the N-terminus or C-terminus of the raptor polypeptide. An example of a fusion protein is a GST-raptor fusion protein in which the raptor sequences are fused to the C-terminus of the GST sequences. Such fusion proteins can facilitate the purification of recombinant raptor. Another example of a fusion protein is a raptor-immunoglobulin fusion protein in which all or part of raptor is fused to sequences derived from a member of the immunoglobulin protein family. The raptor-immunoglobulin fusion proteins of the invention can be used as immunogens to produce anti-raptor antibodies in a subject, to purify raptor ligands and in screening assays to identify molecules which inhibit the interaction of raptor with a raptor ligand (e.g., mTOR).

A raptor chimeric or fusion protein of the invention can be produced by standard recombinant DNA techniques. For example, DNA fragments coding for the different polypeptide sequences are ligated together in-frame in accordance with conventional techniques (e.g., using blunt-ended or stagger-ended termini for ligation, restriction enzyme digestion, and enzymatic ligation). In another embodiment, conventional techniques such as an automated DNA synthesizer can be used. Alternatively, PCR amplification of gene fragments can be carried out using anchor primers which give rise to complementary overhangs between two consecutive gene fragments which can subsequently be annealed and reamplified to generate a chimeric gene sequence (see, e.g., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel et al. eds., John Wiley & Sons: 1992). Moreover, many expression vectors are commercially available that already encode a fusion moiety (e.g., a GST polypeptide). A raptor-encoding nucleic acid can be cloned into such an expression vector such that the fusion moiety is linked in-frame to the raptor protein.

The present invention also pertains to variants of raptor proteins or polypeptides which function as either raptor agonists (mimetics) or as raptor antagonists. Variants of the raptor protein can be generated by mutagenesis (e.g., discrete point mutation or truncation of the raptor protein).

Variants of the raptor polypeptide which function as either raptor agonists or as raptor antagonists can be identified by screening combinatorial libraries of mutants, e.g., truncation mutants of the raptor polypeptide for raptor polypeptide agonist or antagonist activity. There are a variety of methods which can be used to produce libraries of potential raptor variants from a degenerate oligonucleotide sequence. Chemical synthesis of a degenerate gene sequence can be performed in an automatic DNA synthesizer, and the synthetic gene then ligated into an appropriate expression vector. Use of a degenerate set of genes provides, in one mixture, of all of the sequences encoding the desired set of potential raptor sequences. Methods for synthesizing degenerate oligonucleotides are known in the art (see, e.g., Narang (1983) Tetrahedron 39:3; Itakura et al. (1984) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 53:323; Itakura et al. (1984) Science 198: 056; Ike et al. (1983) Nucleic Acid Res. 11:477). Several techniques are known in the art for screening gene products of combinatorial libraries made by point mutations or truncation, and for screening cDNA libraries for gene products having a selected property (e.g., a biased library).

The present invention also relates to an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to a mammalian raptor polypeptide. In one embodiment, the antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof specifically binds to mammalian raptor polypeptide encoded by an isolated nucleic acid that encodes SEQ ID NO: 2. In another embodiment, the antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof specifically binds to mammalian raptor polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 2. An isolated raptor protein, or a portion or fragment thereof, can be used as an immunogen to generate antibodies that bind raptor using standard techniques for polyclonal and monoclonal antibody preparation. The full-length raptor protein or antigenic peptide fragments of the raptor protein can be used as immunogens. For example, an antigenic peptide of raptor can comprise at least about 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 50 or 100 amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2 and encompass an epitope of raptor such that an antibody raised against the peptide forms a specific immune complex with raptor. Particular epitopes encompassed by the antigenic peptide are regions of raptor that are located on the surface of the protein, e.g., hydrophilic regions.

Generally, a suitable subject, (e.g., rabbit, goat, mouse, rat, hamster or other mammal) is immunized with a raptor immunogen to prepare antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof that specifically bind raptor. The raptor immunogen can further include an adjuvant, such as Freund's complete or incomplete adjuvant, or similar immunostimulatory agent. Immunization of a suitable subject with an immunogenic raptor preparation induces a polyclonal anti-raptor antibody response.

A molecule which specifically binds to raptor is a molecule which binds raptor, but does not substantially bind other molecules in a sample, e.g., a biological sample, which contains raptor. As used herein “antibody” includes full length antibodies or immunoglobulin molecules and immunologically active portions of immunoglobulin molecules. Immunologically active portions of immunoglobulin molecules include, for example, F(ab) and F(ab′)₂ fragments which can be generated by treating the antibody with an enzyme such as pepsin. The term “antibody” also includes polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies that bind raptor.

Polyclonal anti-raptor antibodies can be prepared as described above by immunizing a suitable subject with a raptor immunogen. The antibody molecules directed against raptor can be isolated from the mammal (e.g., from the blood) and further purified by well-known techniques (e.g., protein A chromatography). In addition, antibody-producing cells can be obtained from the subject and used to prepare monoclonal antibodies by standard techniques, such as the hybridoma technique originally described by Kohler and Milstein (1975) Nature 256:495-497. The technology for producing various antibodies monoclonal antibody hybridomas is well known (see generally Current Protocols in Immunology (1994) Coligan et al. (eds.) John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y.). A monoclonal anti-raptor antibody can also be identified and isolated by screening a recombinant combinatorial immunoglobulin library (e.g., an antibody phage display library) with raptor to thereby isolate immunoglobulin library members that bind raptor. Kits for generating and screening phage display libraries are commercially available (e.g., the Pharmacia Recombinant Phage Antibody System, Catalog No. 27-9400-01; and the Stratagene SurfZAP™ Phage Display Kit, Catalog No. 240612).

The term “antibody” also includes chimeric and humanized monoclonal antibodies, comprising both human and non-human portions, which can be made using standard recombinant DNA techniques. Such chimeric and humanized monoclonal antibodies can be produced by recombinant DNA techniques known in the art.

An anti-raptor antibody (e.g., monoclonal antibody) can be used to isolate raptor by standard techniques, such as affinity chromatography or immunoprecipitation. An anti-raptor antibody can facilitate the purification of natural raptor from cells, recombinantly produced raptor expressed in host cells and chemically synthesized raptor. Moreover, an anti-raptor antibody can be used to detect raptor protein in a sample (e.g., in a cellular lysate or cell supernatant) and also to evaluate the quantity and expression pattern of the raptor protein. Anti-raptor antibodies can be used diagnostically to monitor protein levels in tissue as part of a clinical testing procedure (e.g., to determine the efficacy of a given treatment regimen). A detectable substance or tag can be coupled to the antibody to facilitate detection. Examples of detectable substances include enzymes, prosthetic groups, fluorescent materials, luminescent materials, bioluminescent materials, and radioactive materials.

The present invention also provides expression constructs (expression vectors) containing a nucleic acid encoding a raptor polypeptide or a portion thereof. Examples of vectors include plasmids and viral vector (e.g., replication defective retroviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses).

The expression constructs of the invention comprise a raptor nucleic acid of the invention operably linked to one or more regulatory sequences. In one embodiment, the expression construct comprises SEQ ID NO: 1. The regulatory sequence is selected based on the vector and host cell used for expression of raptor. As used herein “operably linked” indicates that the raptor nucleic acid is linked to the regulatory sequence(s) in a manner which allows for expression of the nucleotide sequence (e.g., in an in vitro transcription/translation system or in a host cell when the vector is introduced into the host cell). As used herein, a “regulatory sequence” includes promoters, enhancers and other expression control elements such as polyadenylation signals which direct constitutive expression or tissue-specific expression of a nucleic acid. Such regulatory sequences are described, for example, in Goeddel; Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. (1990). The vector used in the present invention depends on several factors such as the choice of the host cell to be transformed, the level of expression of protein desired, etc. When introduced into a host cell the vectors of the invention can be used to produce raptor proteins or peptides, including fusion proteins or peptides, encoded by nucleic acids as described herein (e.g., raptor proteins, mutant forms of raptor, fusion proteins).

The vectors of the invention can be designed for expression of raptor in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells, e.g., bacterial cells such as E. coli, insect cells (using baculovirus expression vectors), yeast cells or mammalian cells. Suitable host cells are discussed further in Goeddel, Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. (1990). Alternatively, the recombinant expression vector can be transcribed and translated in vitro, for example using T7 promoter regulatory sequences and T7 polymerase. The vectors described herein can also comprise a nucleic acid molecule of the invention cloned into the vector in an antisense orientation.

Another aspect of the invention pertains to host cells into which an expression vector of the invention has been introduced (recombinant cells). In one embodiment, a host cell of the present invention comprises a nucleic acid molecule that encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. The term “host cell” refers to the particular subject cell and to the progeny or potential progeny of such a cell. Because certain modifications may occur in succeeding generations due to either mutation or environmental influences, such progeny may not, in fact, be identical to the parent cell, but are still included within the scope of the term as used herein.

A host cell can be a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell. For example, raptor protein can be expressed in bacterial cells (e.g., E. coli), insect cells, yeast cells or mammalian cells (e.g., Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) or COS cells). Other suitable host cells are known to those skilled in the art.

Vector DNA can be introduced into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells using a variety of art-recognized techniques for introducing foreign nucleic acid (e.g., DNA) into a host cell. For example, calcium phosphate or calcium chloride co-precipitation, DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection, lipofection, or electroporation can be used. Suitable methods for transforming or transfecting host cells can be found in Sambrook, et al. (supra), and other laboratory manuals.

For stable transfection of mammalian cells, it is known that, depending upon the expression vector and transfection technique used, only a small fraction of cells may integrate the foreign DNA into their genome. Optionally, a selectable marker (e.g., resistance to antibiotics) can be introduced into the host cells along with the nucleic acid encoding raptor to identify and select cells that include the nucleic acid. Examples of selectable markers include G418, hygromycin and methotrexate. Nucleic acid encoding a selectable marker can be introduced into a host cell on the same vector as that encoding raptor or can be introduced on a separate vector.

A host cell of the invention, such as a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell in culture, can be used to produce a (i.e., express) raptor polypeptide. Accordingly, the invention further provides methods for producing a raptor polypeptide using the host cells of the invention. In one embodiment, the method comprises culturing the host cell comprising nucleic acid encoding a raptor polypeptide or portion thereof under conditions in which (e.g., in a suitable medium) raptor polypeptide is produced. In another embodiment, the method further comprises isolating raptor polypeptide from the medium or the host cell. The present invention also relates to the isolated raptor polypeptide.

The raptor nucleic acid molecules, raptor proteins, and anti-raptor antibodies (also referred to herein as “active compounds”) of the invention can be incorporated into pharmaceutical compositions suitable for administration. Such compositions typically comprise the nucleic acid molecule, protein, or antibody and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. As used herein, a “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” includes solvents, dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic and absorption delaying agents, and the like, compatible with pharmaceutical administration. The use of such media and agents for pharmaceutically active substances is well known in the art.

A pharmaceutical composition of the invention is formulated to be compatible with its intended route of administration. Examples of routes of administration include parenteral, e.g., intravenous, intradermal, subcutaneous, oral, intranasal, transdermal (topical), transmucosal, and rectal administration (e.g., suppositories). The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can also include a sterile diluent such as water for injection, saline solution, fixed oils, polyethylene glycols, glycerine, propylene glycol or other synthetic solvents; antibacterial agents; antioxidants; chelating agents; buffers and agents for the adjustment of tonicity. The can be enclosed in ampoules, disposable syringes or multiple dose vials made of glass or plastic.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for injectable use include sterile aqueous solutions (where water soluble) or dispersions and sterile powders for the extemporaneous preparation of sterile injectable solutions or dispersion. For intravenous administration, suitable carriers include physiological saline or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The carrier can be a solvent or dispersion medium containing, for example, water, ethanol and polyol (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol). In addition, a coating (e.g., lecithin) or a surfactant can be used. Antibacterial and antifungal agents, (e.g., thimerosal) can also be included. Moreover, sugars, polyalcohols and sodium chloride can be included in the pharmaceutical composition. An agent which delays absorption, for example, aluminum monostearate and gelatin can also be used.

Oral compositions can include an inert diluent or an edible carrier and can be in the form of capsules (e.g., gelatin), pills or tablets. The tablets, pills or capsules, can contain a binder, an excipient, a lubricant, a sweetening agent or a flavoring agent. For administration by inhalation, the compounds are delivered in the form of an aerosol spray from pressured container or dispenser which contains a suitable propellant, e.g., a gas such as carbon dioxide, or a nebulizer.

In one embodiment, the active compounds can be administered as a controlled release formulation, including implants and microencapsulated delivery systems (e.g., biodegradable, biocompatible polymers can be used). Methods for preparation of such formulations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The materials can also be obtained commercially.

The dosage of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention depend on the unique characteristics of the active compound and the particular therapeutic effect to be achieved, and the limitations inherent in the art of compounding such an active compound for the treatment of individuals.

The pharmaceutical compositions can be included in a kit, container, pack, or dispenser together with instructions for administration.

The nucleic acid molecules, proteins, protein homologues, and antibodies described herein can be used in a variety of methods.

The isolated nucleic acid molecules of the invention can be used to express raptor protein (e.g., via a recombinant expression vector in a host cell), to detect raptor mRNA (e.g., in a biological sample) and to modulate raptor activity. In addition, the raptor proteins can be used to screen drugs or compounds which modulate the raptor activity or expression as well as to treat disorders characterized by a decreased or excessive production of raptor protein or production of raptor protein forms which have decreased or aberrant activity compared to raptor wild type protein. In addition, the anti-raptor antibodies of the invention can be used to detect and isolate raptor proteins and modulate raptor activity. This invention further pertains to novel agents identified by the above-described screening assays and their use for treatments as described herein.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to diagnostic assays for determining raptor polypeptide and/or nucleic acid expression as well as raptor activity, in the context of a biological sample (e.g., blood, serum, cells, tissue) to thereby determine whether an individual is afflicted with a disease or disorder, or is at risk of developing a disorder, associated with aberrant raptor expression or activity. The invention also provides for determining whether an individual is at risk of developing a disorder associated with raptor protein, nucleic acid expression or activity. For example, mutations in a raptor gene can be assayed in a biological sample. Such assays can be used for prognostic or predictive purpose to prophylactically treat an individual prior to the onset of a disorder characterized by or associated with raptor protein, nucleic acid expression or activity (e.g., cancer).

The present invention also pertains to a method for detecting the presence or absence of raptor in a sample (e.g., a biological sample) comprising contacting a sample with a compound or an agent capable of detecting raptor protein or nucleic acid (e.g., mRNA, genomic DNA) that encodes raptor protein such that the presence of raptor is detected in the sample. The method can further comprise obtaining the sample. In one embodiment, a labeled nucleic acid sequence (probe) capable of hybridizing to raptor mRNA or genomic DNA is used to detect raptor nucleic acid (e.g., mRNA or genomic DNA). The nucleic acid sequence can be, for example, a full-length raptor nucleic acid, such as the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a portion thereof, such as an oligonucleotide of at least about 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 350, 500, 1000 or 2000 nucleotides in length and sufficient to specifically hybridize under stringent conditions to raptor nucleic acid. Other suitable probes for use in the diagnostic assays of the invention are described herein.

In another embodiment, an antibody, preferably an antibody with a detectable label, capable of binding to raptor protein or a characteristic portion thereof is used. Thus, the present invention also provides a method of identifying a mammalian raptor polypeptide in a sample comprising contacting the sample with an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to a mammalian raptor polypeptide wherein the mammalian raptor polypeptide is encoded by an isolated nucleic acid that encodes SEQ ID NO: 2. The polypeptide which specifically binds to the antibody is identified, thereby identifying a mammalian raptor polypeptide in a sample.

Antibodies can be polyclonal, or more preferably, monoclonal. An intact antibody, or a fragment thereof (e.g., Fab or F(ab′)₂) can be used. Examples of detectable labels include a fluorescently labeled secondary antibody, and biotin such that it can be detected with fluorescently labeled streptavidin.

A “sample” includes biological samples such as tissues, cells and biological fluids of a subject which contain raptor protein molecules, mRNA molecules or genomic DNA molecules from the test subject. The detection method of the invention can be used to detect raptor mRNA, protein, or genomic DNA in a biological sample in vitro as well as in vivo. For example, in vitro techniques for detection of raptor mRNA include Northern hybridizations and in situ hybridizations. In vitro techniques for detection of raptor protein include enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), Western blots, immunoprecipitations and immunofluorescence. In vitro techniques for detection of raptor genomic DNA include Southern hybridizations. Furthermore, in vivo techniques for detection of raptor protein include introducing into a subject a labeled anti-raptor antibody, wherein the antibody is labeled with a radioactive marker whose presence and location in a subject can be detected by standard imaging techniques.

In another embodiment, the methods further involve obtaining a control sample from a control subject, contacting the control sample with a compound or agent capable of detecting raptor protein, mRNA, or genomic DNA, such that the presence of raptor protein, mRNA or genomic DNA is detected in the biological sample, and comparing the presence of raptor protein, mRNA or genomic DNA in the control sample with the presence of raptor protein, mRNA or genomic DNA in the test sample.

The invention also encompasses kits for detecting the presence of raptor in a sample. Such kits can be used to determine if a subject is suffering from or is at increased risk of developing a disorder associated with aberrant expression of Raptor (e.g., a proliferative cell disorder such as cancer). For example, the kit can comprise a labeled compound or agent capable of detecting raptor protein or mRNA in a sample and means for determining the amount of raptor in the sample (e.g., an anti-raptor antibody or an oligonucleotide probe which binds to DNA encoding Raptor such as SEQ ID NO:1). Kits may also include instruction for observing that the tested subject is suffering from or is at risk of developing a disorder associated with aberrant expression of raptor if the amount of raptor protein or mRNA is above or below a normal level.

For antibody-based kits, the kit may comprise, for example: (1) a first antibody (e.g., attached to a solid support) which binds to raptor protein; and, optionally, (2) a second, different antibody which binds to raptor protein or the first antibody and is conjugated to a detectable agent. For oligonucleotide-based kits, the kit may comprise, for example: (1) a oligonucleotide, e.g., a detectably labelled oligonucleotide, which hybridizes to a raptor nucleic acid sequence or (2) a pair of primers useful for amplifying a raptor nucleic acid molecule.

The kit may also comprise, e.g., a buffering agent, a preservative, or a protein stabilizing agent. The kit may also comprise components necessary for detecting the detectable agent (e.g., an enzyme or a substrate). The kit may also contain a control sample or a series of control samples which can be assayed and compared to the test sample contained along with instructions for observing whether the tested subject is suffering from or is at risk of developing a disorder associated with aberrant expression of raptor.

The invention provides a method (also referred to herein as a “screening assay”) for identifying agents that alter raptor expression and/or activity. For example, such agents (modulators) include candidate or test compounds or agents (e.g., peptides, peptidomimetics, small molecules such as small organic molecules or other drugs) which bind to a raptor polypeptide and/or inhibit or enhance (partially, completely) raptor expression or raptor activity. In one embodiment, the ability of an agent to alter raptor expression and/or activity is accomplished by determining the ability of the agent to alter the activity of (e.g., interaction of) raptor with a raptor target molecule. As used herein, a “target molecule” is a molecule with which a raptor protein binds to or interacts with in nature. In one embodiment, a raptor target molecule is mTOR. Thus, the present invention relates to a method of identifying an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 with mTOR protein under conditions in which the raptor protein interacts with the mTOR protein, with an agent to be assessed. The extent to which raptor interacts with mTOR in the presence of the agent to be assessed is determined, wherein if the extent to which raptor interacts with mTOR is altered in the presence of the agent compared to the extent to which raptor interacts with mTOR in the absence of the agent, then the agent alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

Determining the ability of the raptor protein to bind to or interact with a raptor target molecule can be accomplished by methods which detect binding directly or indirectly. In one embodiment, determining the ability of the raptor protein to bind to or interact with a raptor target molecule can be accomplished by directly detecting the binding of raptor to the target molecule using, for example, one or more antibodies to detect raptor and/or its target molecule, or gel electrophoresis. In another embodiment, determining the ability of the raptor protein to bind to or interact with a raptor target molecule can be accomplished by determining the activity of raptor and/or the target molecule. For example, the activity of raptor or a raptor target molecule such as mTOR, can be determined by detecting interaction of raptor and mTOR, the ability of mTOR to participate in nutrient signaling, the ability of mTOR to participate in maintenance of cell size and the ability of raptor to negatively regulate the mTOR kinase activity.

In one embodiment, the method comprises contacting a raptor protein or biologically active portion thereof with an agent and determining the ability of the agent to bind to the raptor protein or biologically active portion thereof. Binding of the test compound to the raptor protein can be determined either directly or indirectly. In one embodiment, the assay includes contacting the raptor protein or biologically active portion thereof with a raptor target molecule which binds raptor (e.g., mTOR) to form an assay mixture; contacting the assay mixture with an agent; and determining the ability of the agent to interact with a raptor protein. In this embodiment, the ability of the agent to interact with a raptor protein comprises comparing the extent to which the agent binds to raptor or a biologically active portion thereof, to the extent to which mTOR binds to raptor or a biologically active portion thereof. If raptor preferentially binds the agent as compared to mTOR, then the agent alters raptor expression and/or activity.

In the screening methods of the present invention, the raptor or its target molecule can be immobilized to facilitate separation of complexed from uncomplexed forms of one or both of the proteins, as well as to accommodate automation of the assay. Binding of an agent to raptor, or interaction of raptor with a target molecule in the presence and absence of an agent to be assessed, can be accomplished using, for example, microtitre plates, test tubes, and micro-centrifuge tubes. Examples of methods for immobilizing proteins on matrices include the use of glutathione-S-transferase/raptor fusion proteins or glutathione-S-transferase/target fusion proteins adsorbed onto glutathione sepharose beads (Sigma Chemical; St. Louis, Mo.) or glutathione derivatized microtitre plates and the use biotin and streptavidin conjugation.

In another embodiment, modulators of raptor expression are identified in a method in which a cell is contacted with an agent and the expression of raptor mRNA or protein in the cell is determined. The level of expression of raptor mRNA or protein in the presence of the agent is compared to the level of expression of raptor mRNA or protein in the absence of the agent. The agent can then be identified as a modulator of raptor expression based on this comparison. For example, when expression of raptor mRNA or protein is greater in the presence of the agent than in its absence, the candidate compound is identified as a stimulator of raptor mRNA or protein expression. Alternatively, when expression of raptor mRNA or protein is less in the presence of the agent than in its absence, the candidate compound is identified as an inhibitor of raptor mRNA or protein expression. The level of raptor mRNA or protein expression in the cells can be determined by methods described herein for detecting raptor mRNA or protein.

In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of identifying an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a cell (e.g., a host cell) which comprises nucleic acid that encodes a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed. The growth rate and/or size of the cell is then determined, wherein an altered growth rate and/or size of the cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of identifying an agent that inhibits an interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a cell which comprises nucleic acid that encodes a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed. The growth rate and/or size of the cell is assessed, wherein a decrease in growth rate or size of the cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of identifying an agent that enhances an interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising contacting a cell which comprises nucleic acid that encodes a raptor protein having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed. The growth rate and/or size of the cell is assessed, wherein an increase in growth rate and/or size of the cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent enhances interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

In the methods of the present invention, the growth rate and/or size can be assessed by measuring phosphorylation of a regulator of protein synthesis (e.g., S6 kinase 1, 4E-BP1 and combinations thereof). The growth rate and/or size can also be assessed by measuring binding of the mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.

As shown herein, raptor forms a nutrient sensitive complex with mTOR and is necessary for the activity of the mTOR pathway. Specifically, it has been shown that two interactions exist between raptor and mTOR: a ‘constitutive’ interaction that is required for in vivo mTOR function and a ‘nutrient sensitive’ interaction that forms in the absence of nutrients and negatively regulates mTOR kinase activity. As also shown herein, growing cells transfected with interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting raptor were reduced in size.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of altering the growth and/or size of a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that alters interaction of raptor protein with mTOR protein.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of enhancing growth rate and/or size of a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that inhibits interaction of mammalian raptor protein with mammalian TOR protein. The agent can be, for example, exogenous nucleic acid that inhibits activity of a mammalian raptor protein. In one embodiment, the exogenous nucleic acid results in overexpression of mammalian raptor protein in the cell. The exogenous nucleic acid can be, for example, mRNA that specifically targets and destroys the mammalian raptor protein (e.g., siRNA), such as mRNA comprising pairs of oligoribonucleotides which correspond to nucleotides from about nucleotide 1531 to about nucleotide 1551 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of inhibiting growth rate and/or size of a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that enhances interaction of mammalian raptor protein with mammalian TOR protein. The agent can be, for example, exogenous nucleic acid that enhances activity of a mammalian raptor protein.

The present invention also provides a method of altering in vivo activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that alters an interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method of enhancing in vivo activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of inhibiting in vivo activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that enhances constitutive interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR.

The present invention also relates to a method of altering kinase activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method of enhancing kinase activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of inhibiting kinase activity of mTOR protein in a cell comprising introducing into the cell an agent that enhances interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with the mTOR.

The present invention also provides for prophylactic and therapeutic methods of treating a subject at risk of or susceptible to a disorder or having a disorder associated with aberrant raptor and/or mTOR expression or activity. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for preventing in a subject, a disease or condition associated with an aberrant raptor expression or activity, by administering to the subject an agent which alters raptor expression or at least one raptor activity. Subjects at risk for a disease which is caused or contributed to by aberrant raptor expression or activity can be identified by, for example, any of a combination of diagnostic or prognostic assays as described herein. Administration of a prophylactic agent can occur prior to the manifestation of symptoms characteristic of the raptor aberrancy, such that a disease or disorder is prevented or, alternatively, delayed in its progression. Depending on the type of raptor aberrancy, for example, a raptor agonist or raptor antagonist agent can be used for treating the subject. The appropriate agent can be determined based on screening assays described herein.

Another aspect of the invention pertains to methods of modulating raptor expression or activity for therapeutic purposes. The method of the invention involves contacting a cell with an agent that alters one or more of the activities of raptor protein activity associated with the cell. An agent that alters raptor protein activity can be an agent as described herein, such as a nucleic acid or a protein, a naturally-occurring cognate ligand of a raptor protein, a peptide, a raptor peptidomimetic, or other small molecule (e.g., small organic molecule). In one embodiment, the agent stimulates one or more of the biological activities of raptor protein. Examples of such stimulatory agents include active raptor protein and a nucleic acid molecule encoding raptor that has been introduced into the cell. In another embodiment, the agent inhibits one or more of the biological activities of raptor protein. Examples of such inhibitory agents include antisense raptor nucleic acid molecules and anti-raptor antibodies. These methods can be performed in vitro (e.g., by culturing the cell with the agent) or, alternatively, in vivo (e.g, by administering the agent to a subject). As such, the present invention provides methods of treating an individual afflicted with a disease or disorder characterized by aberrant expression or activity of a raptor protein or nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, the method involves administering an agent (e.g., an agent identified by a screening assay described herein), or combination of agents that modulates (e.g., upregulates or downregulates) raptor expression or activity. In another embodiment, the method involves administering a raptor protein or nucleic acid molecule as therapy to compensate for reduced or aberrant raptor expression or activity.

Stimulation of raptor activity is desirable in situations in which raptor is abnormally downregulated and/or in which increased raptor activity is likely to have a beneficial effect. Conversely, inhibition of raptor activity is desirable in situations in which raptor is abnormally upregulated, e.g., in cancer, and/or in which decreased raptor activity is likely to have a beneficial effect.

In a particular embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of treating cancer in an individual comprising administering to the individual an agent that enhances interaction of raptor protein with mTOR protein.

EXEMPLIFICATION Materials and Methods

Materials

Reagents were obtained from the following sources: DSP and Protein G-Sepharose from Pierce; methionine-L-[³⁵S] and ATP-[γ-³²P] from NEN; mTOR, EGFR, S6K1, actin, lamin, and PI3-K antibodies as well as HRP-labeled anti-mouse, anti-goat and anti-rabbit secondary antibodies from Santa Cruz Biotechnology; Phospho-T389 S6K1 and Phospho-5473 PKB/Akt antibodies from Cell Signaling; HA monoclonal antibody from Covance; myc monoclonal antibody from Oncogene Research Products; myc rabbit polyclonal antibody from Upstate Biotechnology; eIF-4E antibody from Transduction Laboratories; DMEM, leucine, glucose, RPMI, and RPMI without amino acids, leucine, or glucose, from Life Technologies; and rapamycin, FK506, valinomycin, antimycin A, and 2-deoxyglucose from Calbiochem. Rabbit polyclonal anti-peptide antibodies recognizing mTOR (amino acids 221-237) and human raptor (amino acids 985-1001) were produced using the regular antibody service from Zymed.

Crosslinking Assay and Immunoprecipitations

3 million HEK293T cells growing in 6 cm dishes in DMEM with 10% dialyzed fetal calf serum were metabolically labeled by the addition of 0.4 mCi of [³⁵S] methionine for 2 hours. Cells were rinsed once with PBS and lysed in 300 μl of ice-cold Buffer A (40 mM Hepes pH 7.5, 120 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, 10 mM pyrophosphate, 10 mM glycerophosphate, 50 mM NaF, 1.5 mM Na₃Vo₄, 1% Triton X-100, and one tablet EDTA-free protease inhibitors (Roche) per 10 ml) with or without 2.5 mg/ml DSP and incubated for 30 min on ice. Crosslinking reactions were quenched by adding 75 μl 1M Tris-HCl pH 7.4 followed by an additional 30 min incubation. After clearing the lysates by centrifugation at 10,000×g for 10 min, 30 μA of a 50% slurry of protein G-Sepharose and 4 μg of the anti-mTOR antibody or control antibodies were added to the supernatant. After a 3 hour incubation at 4° C., immunoprecipitates were washed once each with Tris-buffered saline containing 0.05% Tween 20, Wash Buffer 1 (50 mM Hepes pH 7.5, 40 mM NaCl, and 2 mM EDTA) with 1% Triton X-100, Wash Buffer 1 with 500 mM LiCl and 0.5% Triton X-100, Wash Buffer 1 with 500 mM LiCl, and Wash Buffer 2 (50 mM Hepes, pH 7.5, and 150 mM NaCl). 5× sample buffer (0.242 M Tris, 10% SDS, 25% glycerol, 0.5M dithiothreitol and bromophenol blue) was added to washed immunoprecipitates and incubated for 1 h at 37° C. to reduce the DSP crosslinking Samples were resolved by 3-8% SDS-PAGE, proteins transferred to PVDF and the blot exposed to film. Cross-linking experiment using unlabeled cells were analyzed by silver staining of gels.

Unless otherwise stated, for mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared in the absence of the cross-linker, cells were lysed in ice-cold Buffer B (Buffer A in which Triton X-100 is replaced by 0.3% CHAPS) and immunoprecipitates were washed four times in Buffer B and twice in Wash Buffer 2.

Protein Sequencing of Raptor

mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from 200 million HEK293T cells were prepared as above, resolved by SDS-PAGE, and proteins visualized by Coomassie blue staining The band corresponding to raptor was excised and trypsinized as described (Erdjument-Bromage et al., Protein Sci 3:2435-46 (1994)). A hundred percent of the generated peptides were subjected to a micro-clean-up procedure using 2 μL bed-volume of Poros 50 R2 (PerSeptive) reversed-phase beads packed in an Eppendorf gel-loading tip. Mass spectrometry (MALDI-ReTOF) was then carried out on two peptide pools (16 and 30% MeCN) recovered from the RP-microtip column using a Bruker REFLEX III instrument with delayed extraction. For mass fingerprinting, top major experimental masses (m/z) combined from both MALDI-ReTOF experiments were used to search a non-redundant human protein database (NR; ˜66,605 entries; NCBI; Bethesda, Md.), using the PeptideSearch (M. Mann, University of Southern Denmark) algorithm. A molecular weight range twice the predicted weight was covered with a mass accuracy restriction better than 40 ppm, and maximum one missed cleavage site was allowed per peptide. Alternatively, mass spectrometric-based sequencing (ESI-MS/MS) of selected peptides from partially fractionated pools was carried out using a PE-SCIEX API300 triple quadrupole instrument, fitted with a continuous flow nano-electrospray source (JaFIS). All peptide masses in pools were obtained by DE-MALDI-reTOF MS (BRUKER Reflex III). Peptide sequences were obtained by nano-electrospray tandem MS (JaFIS® source with SCIEX API300 triple quadrupole).

Cloning of the Raptor cDNA, DNA Manipulations and Mutagenesis

The cDNA for the KIAA1303 protein was obtained from the Kazusa DNA Research Institute. It encodes amino acids 200-1335 of raptor downstream of 126 bases of unknown origin that are not present in the EST databases and likely represent unspliced intronic sequence. To identify the full-length raptor sequence, EST databases with bases 127-500 of KIAA1303 were searched and cDNAs that extended the sequence in the 5′ direction were identified. The 5′ sequences of these cDNAs were used to search the EST databases for cDNAs that further extended the 5′ end of the raptor mRNA and this process was repeated until no additional cDNAs were found. The sequences obtained in this fashion allowed us to design PCR primers and amplify the 5′ end of raptor using first strand cDNA prepared from human BJAB cell RNA as template. PCR products were subcloned into the pCRII vector using a T/A cloning kit (Invitrogen) and sequenced. To create the 7051 base pair cDNA for the full length raptor mRNA, the PCR fragments and KIAA1303 were assembled in pBluescript SK-II(+) (Stratagene) using restriction sites found in overlapping regions. For expression in mammalian cells, the entire raptor open reading frame was subcloned into the myc- and HA-prk5 vectors (Sabatini et al., Science 284:1161-4 (1999)).

The raptor and mTOR fragments indicated in FIGS. 6A-6B were expressed from cDNAs subcloned into the HA- and/or myc-prk5 vectors. The raptor open reading frame in pBluescript SK-II(+) was mutagenized using the QuikChange mutagenesis kit (Stratagene) and subcloned into the Sal 1 and Not 1 sites of HA-prK5. Mutants used in this study are: raptor mut1 (₁₉₄YDC₁₉₆-AAA), mut2 (₂₆₁DLF₂₆₃-AAA), mut3 (₃₁₃NWIF₃₁₆-AAAA), mut4 (₃₉₁SQ₃₉₂-PA), mut 5 (₄₇₃FPY₄₇₅-AAA), mut 7 (₇₃₈SLQN₇₄₁-PAAA), and mut 9 (₁₁₉₁RVYDRR₁₁₉₆-DAAADD).

Sequence Analysis and Alignments

Unaligned sequences of raptor homologues were submitted to the MEME server (Multiple Em for Motif Elicitation v3.0) (Bailey and Elkan, Proc. Int. Conf Intel'. Syst. Mol. Biol. 2:28-36 (1994)) at http://meme.sdsc.edu/meme/website/ to identify blocks of similar sequence between the proteins. Three blocks (1, 2, and 3) of similar sequence were identified in the N-terminal half of all the homologues and collectively named the RNC (Raptor N-terminal Conserved) domain. The sequences were then examined for the presence of common protein motifs using a Pfam v6.6 fragment search (Sonnhammer et al., Proteins, 28:405-420 (1997)) at http://pfam.wustl.edu/ and three HEAT-like and seven WD40-like repeats were found in each protein. The sequences of the raptor homologues were also aligned with ClustalX (v1.81) (Thompson et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 25:4876-82 (1997)) using the Gonnet series weight matrix. Pairwise gap opening and gap extension penalties were set at 10.00 and 0.10, respectively. Multiple alignment gap opening and gap extension penalties were set at 10.00 and 0.20, respectively. The ClustalX alignment recapitulated the results of the MEME search, highlighting the three blocks of conserved identity and similarity corresponding to the RNC domain. In addition, the HEAT-like and WD40-like repeats were also aligned. Secondary structure prediction (Rost and Sander, J. Mol. Biol. 232:584-99 (1993)) was performed at http://cubic.bioc.columbia.edu.

Plasmid and siRNA Transfections

3 million HEK293T cells in 6-cm dishes were transfected with plasmid constructs and amounts indicated in the Figure legends using the Lipofectamine 2000 transfection reagent (Life Technology). 24 hours after DNA addition, cells were rinsed once with PBS and lysed in 300 μl of ice-cold Buffer B. Immune complexes were prepared from cleared supernatants using 3 μg polyclonal anti-myc or monoclonal anti-HA antibodies and 20 μl of a 50% slurry protein G-Sepharose. After a 3 hour incubation, immuneprecipitates were washed six times with Buffer B and twice with Wash Buffer 2. Bound proteins were eluted in 1× sample buffer, and mTOR or HA- or myc-tagged proteins were detected by immunoblotting as described (Burnett et al., PNAS 95:1432-143 (1998)).

For the siRNA experiments, 21-nucleotide complementary RNAs with symmetrical 2-nucleotide overhangs were obtained from Dharmacon (Boulder, Colo.) and designed to target the following regions of the open reading frames: bases 1531-1551 or 3374-3394 of raptor, bases 2241-2261 of human mTOR (FRAP), and bases 608-630 of human lamin. Oligonucleotides were annealed into duplexes as described (Elbashir et al., Embo J. 20:6877-88 (2001)) and transfected at 40 nM with Effectene (Qiagen) into HEK293T cells cultured in Optimem media (Life Technology) without serum. Unless otherwise described, 48 hours after adding siRNAs, the medium was replaced with DMEM containing 10% serum, and cells were cultured for a further 24 hours before use in experiments. mRNA levels of raptor and mTOR in siRNA transfected cells were determined by quantitative RT-PCR using a SYBR green assay as described (Alfonso et al., J. Neurosci. Res. 67:225-34 (2002)).

Cell Size Determinations

For the regrowth after confluence experiment, HEK293T cells were transfected with siRNAs as described above and grown to confluence in a 6-cm culture dish for 24 hours. Cells were then harvested, diluted 1:10 or 1:20 and replated in fresh media. At 1, 2, and 3 days after replating, the cells were harvested by trypsinization in 2 ml media, diluted 1:20 with counting solution (Isoflow Sheath Fluid, Coulter Corp.) and cell diameters and volumes determined using a particle size counter (Coulter Multisizer II). Cells between 11 and 21 μm in diameter were used for analysis. For the leucine-induced growth experiment, the siRNA transfected cells were diluted into fresh media one day after transfection and, at 24 hours after dilution the cells were deproved of leucine for a further 24 hours. The cells were then provided with leucine (52 μg/ml) and cell diameters, volumes, and numbers determined as above at 6 and 10 hours after the leucine supplementation.

In Vitro Kinase Assay for mTOR Activity

Kinase assays were performed in a volume of 10 μl at 30° C. for 20 min and contained ¼ the washed mTOR immunoprecipitates from 10 million HEK293T cells growing on a 10-cm dish, 200 ng of a GST-S6K1 fusion protein (amino acids 332-502), 1 μCi of [γ-³²P]ATP, 25 mM Hepes-KOH, pH 7.4, 50 mM KCl, 20% glycerol, 10 mM MgCl₂, 4 mM MnCl₂, 1 mM DTT, and 50 μM unlabeled ATP. When inhibitors were used they were added to the mTOR immunoprecipitates 10 minutes prior to the start of the kinase assay. Reactions were stopped by the addition of 5 μl of 2× sample buffer. After boiling the samples for 3 min, proteins were resolved by 8% SDS-PAGE, transferred to PVDF (poly(vinylidene difluoride)), and phosphorylated proteins visualized with autoradiography. The same blots were then used to determine the levels of mTOR and raptor by western analysis. Kinase assays using recombinant mTOR were performed as described in Burnett et al., PNAS, 95:1432-1437 (1998), except that they were washed as above with Buffer B.

Results

Identification of Raptor as an mTOR-Associated Protein

HEK 293T cells were metabolically labeled with [³⁵S]-methionine and lysed in the presence or absence of the reversible cross-linker dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) (DSP). mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from these lysates were then treated with dithiothreitol to reduce the DSP cross-links and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. A protein with an apparent molecular weight of 150 kDa co-precipitated with mTOR only in immunoprecipitates recovered from lysates prepared in the presence of DSP (FIG. 3A). The intensity of this band decreased significantly when DSP was added 30 minutes after cell lysis, indicating that the protein interacts weakly or transiently with mTOR or that the lysis procedure disrupts the association (FIG. 3A). Immunoprecipitates prepared using antibodies against five other proteins did not co-precipitate the 150-kDa protein, indicating that it specifically interacts with mTOR. For reasons that will become apparent, the 150 kDa protein was designated raptor (Regulatory Associated Protein of mTOR). Raptor was also detected in silver (FIG. 3B) or Coomasie blue stained gels of mTOR immunoprecipitates prepared from DSP-treated lysates of unlabelled cells. Quantitation of the amount of raptor in these gels indicated that it is present in near stoichiometric amounts with mTOR. Furthermore, once sequence information allowed normalization of radioactive band intensities to the methionine content of raptor and mTOR, near stoichiometric amounts of the two proteins were found in complexes isolated from cells metabolically labeled to equilibrium (FIG. 3C).

Raptor is an Evolutionarily Conserved Protein with a Novel N-Terminal Domain and Seven WD40 Repeats

To characterize raptor sequence information was obtained by mass spectrometry and three peptides (SVSSYGNIR (SEQ ID NO: 26), LDDQIFLNR (SEQ ID NO: 27), and IPEEHDLESQIR (SEQ ID NO: 28)), all of which are contained within KIAA1303 (NCBI #7242961), a partial ORF for a human protein of unknown function, were identified. Using the BLAST homology search algorithm, it was found that KIAA1303 likely represents an N-terminally truncated fragment of the human homologue of fission yeast Mip1p. The function of Mip1 is not clear, but, interestingly, it has been implicated in cell growth and nitrogen sensing (Shinozaki-Yabana et al., Mol. Cell Biol. 20:1234-42 (2000)), processes regulated by TOR proteins in a variety of organisms. By searching EST databases, overlapping cDNAs that extended the 5′ end of the KIAA1303 cDNA were identified and sequence information that allowed the design of PCR primers and assembly of a full-length cDNA for human raptor were provided. The 7051 nucleotide mRNA contains an open reading frame encoding a protein of 1335 amino acids (predicted molecular weight of 149 kDa) that is flanked by 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of 0.9 and 2.1 kb, respectively. Human genome sequence information for the raptor locus permitted localization of the gene to human chromosome 17q25.3.

Raptor shows a high degree of conservation amongst all eukaryotes with completed genome projects, including D. melanogaster, S. pombe, S. cerevisiae, C. elegans, and A. thaliana (FIG. 4A and FIGS. 11A-11I). The raptor homologues in budding (Winzeler et al., Science 285:901-6. (1999)) and fission (Shinozaki-Yabana et al., Mol. Cell Biol. 20:1234-42 (2000)) yeast are encoded by essential genes. All raptor homologues have a novel N-terminal domain that we have named RNC (for Raptor N-terminal Conserved) domain, and consists of three highly conserved sequence blocks that share at least 67% similarity amongst raptor homologues (FIGS. 4B-4D). The RNC domain is unrelated to other sequences in the public databases and is predicted to have a high propensity to form α-helixes. Following the RNC domain, all raptor homologues have three HEAT repeats (Andrade and Bork, Nat. Genet. 11:115-6 (1995)), with highly conserved aspartate and arginine residues at motif positions 19 and 25, respectively. The HEAT repeats are followed by seven WD40 repeats in the C-terminal third of the protein (FIG. 4A). Both HEAT and WD-40 repeats are common protein-protein interaction motifs found in many eukaryotic regulatory proteins (Kobe et al., Structure Fold Des. 7:R91-7. (1999); Smith et al., Trends Biochem. Sci. 24:181-5 (1999)). Northern blot analysis shows that raptor is expressed in all human tissues in a pattern similar to that of mTOR, with the greatest levels of both mRNAs found in skeletal muscle, brain, kidney, and placenta (FIG. 4E). This indicates that both proteins are coordinately expressed in different tissues.

Specific mTOR-Raptor Interaction In Vivo

To characterize the mTOR-raptor interaction, a polyclonal antibody that specifically recognizes amino acids 985 to 1001 of human raptor was generated. This antibody detected raptor in immunoprecipitates prepared from DSP-treated cell lysates using two different anti-mTOR antibodies but not in immunoprecipitates obtained with five control antibodies incapable of recognizing mTOR (FIG. 5A). To enable a study of the physiological regulation of the mTOR-raptor interaction lysis conditions that might preserve the complex in the absence of the chemical cross-linker were investigated. This was achieved by avoiding in the lysis buffer Triton X-100, a detergent which eliminated the interaction at all concentrations tested (FIG. 5B). Lysis of cells in buffers containing the detergent CHAPS instead of Triton X-100 preserved the interaction with the greatest amount of co-precipitating raptor obtained at 0.3% CHAPS. Interestingly, the majority of in vitro studies on mTOR function have been performed on mTOR isolated from cells lysed with Triton X-100 or the related detergent NP-40, conditions that were found to completely disassociate raptor from mTOR. All further experiments were performed using a lysis buffer (Buffer B, see methods) containing 0.3% CHAPS and 120 mM NaCl, conditions that allowed the recovery of a complex containing a ratio of about 1.0 mTOR to about 0.7 raptor. In addition to HEK293T cells, the mTOR-raptor complex was detected in all other human cell lines tested, including the uterine cancer HeLa, B-cell lymphoma BJAB, neuroblastoma SK-N-MC, and lung cancer A549 derived cell lines (FIG. 5C), indicating that the association likely occurs in most cell types. In transfected HEK293T cells the interaction of epitope-tagged raptor with endogenous mTOR (FIG. 5D) as well as between epitope-tagged versions of both proteins (FIG. 5E) were detected.

The mTOR-raptor interaction requires the mTOR HEAT repeats and multiple sites on raptor

To identify which region(s) of mTOR interacts with raptor, several myc-tagged mTOR fragments together with the full-length HA-tagged raptor protein were expressed in HEK293T cells. The N-terminal region of mTOR (amino acids 1 to 1482) containing all the HEAT motifs interacted with raptor almost as strongly as the full length protein, whereas the C-terminal region (amino acids 1348-2549) exhibited a weak but greater than background interaction (FIG. 6A). Further shortening of the N-terminal region of mTOR by 297 residues severely weakened the interaction and fragments of the N-terminal region of mTOR (amino acids 21-551 or 652-1185) were incapable of interacting with raptor (FIG. 6A). These results indicate that the overall structure of the N-terminal portion of mTOR is required for the association with raptor and that the C-terminal half of mTOR contains a weaker interaction site.

Whether individual domains of recombinant HA-tagged raptor expressed in HEK293T cells could interact with the endogenous mTOR was also tested (FIG. 6B). None of the raptor fragments bound to mTOR, indicating that the overall structure of raptor is required for the interaction. Several mutations in the RNC or WD40 domains of raptor, generated by changing evolutionarily conserved residues (FIG. 6B), eliminated the interaction with mTOR, whereas another RNC domain mutation (mut 4), as well as a mutation in the region between the HEAT and WD40 repeats (mut 7), did not affect it. These observations indicate that the mTOR-raptor interaction involves multiple sites in raptor and a large region of mTOR and, therefore, indicate that both proteins make extensive contacts with each other. Alternatively, the mutations in raptor could destabilize its entire structure and, thus, disturb the mTOR-raptor association without directly being part of the mTOR-interaction site. Interestingly, ATR, a protein which like mTOR is a member of the PIK-related family of kinases, makes extensive contacts with ATRIP (ATR-Interacting Protein), a recently discovered interacting partner of ATR (Cortez et al., Science 294:1713-6 (2001)).

Raptor participates in nutrient signaling and maintenance of cell size

A major role of the mTOR pathway is to coordinate the synthesis of ribosomal proteins with the levels of available amino acids. This is accomplished by controlling the translational regulator S6K1, a kinase whose phosphorylation state and in vivo activity are regulated by amino acid levels (Fox et al., American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology 274:43-1(1998); Hara et al., J Biol. Chem. 273:14484-94. (1998)) and is phosphorylated in vitro by mTOR (Burnett et al., PNAS 95:1432-1437. (1998); Isotani et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274:34493-8. (1999)). To investigate the role of raptor in mTOR-mediated signaling, small interfering RNA (siRNA) (Elbashir et al., Nature 411:494-8 (2001)) were used to decrease endogenous levels of raptor in HEK293T cells and the phosphorylation state of S6K1 in response to stimulation with increasing concentrations of leucine was measured. Consistent with a critical role for raptor in nutrient signaling to S6K1, decreased levels of raptor attenuated leucine-stimulated phosphorylation of S6K1 to a similar extent as decreased levels of mTOR achieved with an siRNA specific to mTOR (FIGS. 7A and 7B). After stimulation with the highest concentration of leucine the cells with reduced amounts of raptor or mTOR had only about 30% of the level of S6K1 phosphorylation as the cells transfected with the control siRNA (FIG. 7B). Reductions in the levels of raptor or mTOR did not significantly affect the amounts of S6K1 and ATM, or the phosphorylation state or amount of PKB/Akt, a downstream effector of PI 3-Kinase (FIGS. 7A and 7B). Interestingly, mTOR and raptor expression appear to be coordinately regulated because reduced levels of either protein induced by its specific siRNA also decreased the level of the other without affecting the amount of its mRNA. The inhibitory effect on S6K1 signaling of the raptor-targeted siRNA is not simply due to its decrease of mTOR levels. In control experiments using the mTOR-targeted siRNA, it was found that to observe any effect on S6K1 phosphorylation mTOR had to be reduced to less than 25% its normal level, a far higher reduction than caused by the raptor-targeted siRNA (FIG. 7B). The mutual dependence of expression observed between mTOR and raptor is another similarity the partners share with the ATR-ATRIP interacting pair (Cortez et al., Science 294:1713-6 (2001)).

In Drosophila, the TOR pathway is a major regulator of cell growth and, thus, cell size (Oldham et al., Genes Dev. 14:2689-94 (2000); Zhang et al., Genes Dev. 14: 2712-24. (2000)). A large part of this regulation is exerted through S6K1, and, in Drosophila and mice, loss of function mutations in S6K1 lead to smaller animals with smaller cells (Montagne et al., Science 285:2126-9 (1999); Shima et al., Embo J. 17:6649-59 (1998)). A role for mTOR in regulating cell growth can also be demonstrated in tissue culture, as inhibition of the pathway with rapamycin treatment reduces the size of many mammalian cell types, including HEK293Ts (FIG. 7C). Consistent with a role for raptor in growth control, it was found that actively growing cells transfected with siRNAs targeting raptor or mTOR underwent comparable reductions in size and that these correlated with a decrease in the phosphorylation state of S6K1 (FIG. 7C). The siRNA-mediated reductions in cell size are highly significant (p<0.001) but less than the reduction caused by treatment of cells with rapamycin for 48 hours. This is expected because rapamycin completely inhibits S6K1 phosphorylation in all of the cells, while the raptor and mTOR siRNAs partially inhibit S6K1 only in transfected cells.

Raptor Participates in Cell Growth

HEK293T cells grown to confluence in a tissue culture dish become smaller than actively growing cells and, after dilution and plating into fresh media, regain their normal mean size over a period of three days. The effects of reducing raptor and mTOR levels on the capacity of cells to increase in mean size after emerging from confluence were examined (FIG. 7D). Cells were transfected with siTNAs targeting lamin, mTOR or raptor and plated at high density so that they reached confluence within 24 hours. The confluent cells were harvested, diluted into fresh media, replated and their mean size measured for three days (FIG. 7D). As the cells transfected with the lamin siRNA emerged from confluence they gradually increased in mean size over a period of three days, an effect that was inhibited in the cells transfected with the mTOR or raptor siRNAs and dramatically reduced by rapamycin.

The effects of reducing raptor and mTOR levels on the capacity of cells, in the absence of proliferation, to grow after a reduction in size caused by prolonged nutrient deprivation were also examined. Cells transfected with siRNAs targeting lamin, mTOR or raptor and, 24 hours after transfection, cells were incubated in leucine-free media for an additional 24 hours. During this period of leucine deprivation the cells ceased to divide and became extremely small so that, irrespective of transfected siRNA, the mean cell volume in all the samples was about 67% of the mean volume of cells in leucine-containing media (FIG. 7E). Leucine was then added to the media and cell size measured at 6 and 10 hours after leucine addition. The growth of cells transfected with the mTOR or raptor siRNAs or treated with rapamycin at the same time of leucine addition was impaired as these cells increased in size significantly less than those transfected with the lamin siRNA. During this period of growth the cells did not divide and resumption of cell proliferation did not begin until 15-20 hours after leucine addition.

As described above, reductions in raptor and mTOR protein levels have similar effects on nutrient-stimulated phosphorylation of S6K1, cell size, and cell growth. In addition, it was found that mTOR and raptor exist in a near stoichiometric complex (FIGS. 3A-3C). An efficient explanation for these findings is that raptor and mTOR are part of the same signaling system that regulates S6K1 phosphorylation. Formally, however, it is possible that mTOR and raptor are in independent pathways that both converge on nutrient-stimulated S6K1 phosphorylation. If this was the case, it would be expected that reducing both raptor and mTOR levels in the same cells would have additive inhibitory effects on the nutrient-stimulated S6K1 phosphorylation because two independent pathways would not be affected. It was found that in cells co-transfected with siRNAs targeting both raptor and mTOR S6K1 phosphorylation is reduced to a similar extent in cells transfected with either the mTOR or raptor siRNA (FIG. 12). This finding supports mTOR and raptor being part of the same nutrient-regulated growth pathway.

Nutrients and Mitochondrial Function Regulate the Stability of the mTOR-Raptor Complex and the mTOR Kinase Activity

To determine if the mTOR-raptor interaction is regulated by conditions that are known to affect the activity of downstream effectors of mTOR, the effects of different nutrient conditions on the stability of the mTOR-raptor complex were tested. The amount of raptor recovered bound to mTOR was markedly increased when HEK293T cells were incubated in amino acid deprived medium, an effect that was mimicked by the removal of just leucine from the culture medium (FIG. 8A). More importantly, a ten-minute stimulation with leucine, which activates the phosphorylation of S6K1 (FIGS. 7A-7B and lower panels of FIG. 8A), reversed the effect of leucine deprivation and restored the interaction to the level observed in cells grown in nutrient-rich medium. Furthermore, the in vitro kinase activity of mTOR towards S6K1 inversely correlated with the amount of raptor recovered with mTOR. Greater activity was observed in raptor-deprived complexes obtained after nutrient stimulation. Conversely, reduced activity was observed in raptor-enriched complexes obtained after nutrient starvation (FIG. 8A). It was also found that glucose deprivation and re-addition affected the mTOR-raptor interaction and mTOR activity in the same way as did changes in leucine levels (FIG. 8A).

Although mild buffers were used to prepare the mTOR immunoprecipitates (in order to preserve the raptor-mTOR association), control kinase assays confirm that the observed activity is that of mTOR and not of a contaminating kinase that also might be capable of phosphorylating S6K1 (FIG. 8B). The kinase activity in the mTOR immunoprecipitates depends on the presence of mTOR and is sensitive to LY294002, a known inhibitor of mTOR (Brunn et al., Science, 277:99-101 (1997)), but not to high concentrations of PKI (an inhibitor of PKA), H-8 (an inhibitor of PKA, PKG, and PKC) and PD98059 (an inhibitor of MEK) (FIG. 8B top panel). Moreover, kinase assays performed on recombinant wild-type and kinase-dead mTOR isolated under mild buffer conditions show that the phosphorylation of S6K1 depends on a wild-type mTOR kinase domain and is sensitive to LY294002 (FIG. 8B, bottom panel). Thus, these findings show that, when mTOR is isolated under conditions designed to preserve its interaction with raptor, the activity of the isolated kinase does change in concert with the in vivo effects of stimuli that regulate the pathway. Moreover, two different nutrients, leucine and glucose, similarly affect the mTOR-raptor interaction, indicating that its regulation is a common event downstream of diverse nutrient signals.

The identity of the intracellular messengers that signal nutrient availability to mTOR is unknown, but several lines of evidence suggest that the mitochondrial metabolism of nutrients is necessary to activate the pathway (Dennis et al., Science 294:1102-5. (2001); Xu et al., Diabetes 50:353-60. (2001)). It was found that valinomycin, a mitochondrial uncoupler (Bernard and Cockrell, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 548:173-186 (1979)); antimycin A, an electron transport inhibitor (Wolvetang, E. J., et al., FEBS Letters, 339:40-44 (1994)); and 2-deoxyglucose, a glycolytic inhibitor, stabilized the mTOR-raptor interaction and inhibited mTOR kinase activity in a similar fashion as nutrient deprivation (FIG. 8C). Other cell stressing conditions known to inhibit S6K1 in vivo, such as the oxidative stress caused by H₂O₂ treatment, which affects mitochondrial function (Majumder et al., Cell Growth Differ. 12:465-70. (2001)), also stabilized the interaction and inhibited the mTOR kinase (FIG. 8C). On the other hand, a sucrose-induced osmotic shock decreased the phosphorylation state of S6K1 but had only a modest effect on complex stability and kinase activity (FIG. 8C). In addition to nutrients and cell stress, growth factors such as insulin are also known to regulate downstream components of the mTOR pathway, like S6K1 (Lawrence and Brunn, Prog. Mol. Subcell. Biol., 26:1-31 (2001). However, it was found that while treatment of serum-starved cells with insulin increased the phosphorylation state of S6K1, it did not affect the raptor-mTOR interaction (FIG. 13), indicating that its regulation is independent of growth factor signaling.

Increasing the Amount of Raptor Bound to mTOR Leads to an Inhibition of the mTOR Kinase Activity

The inverse correlation between the stability of the mTOR-raptor interaction and the kinase activity of mTOR indicates that a strong association between raptor and mTOR leads to an inhibition the mTOR catalytic activity. To substantiate this correlation, the activity of mTOR isolated under cell lysis conditions that differentially affect the mTOR-raptor association was determined (mutant 1, FIG. 14). A small increase in salt concentration in the lysis buffer slightly reduced the amount of raptor bound to mTOR and this correlated with a corresponding increase in mTOR activity. Strikingly, the addition of Triton X-100 to the lysis buffer completely eliminated the interaction and also strongly activated in vitro mTOR activity.

To exclude the possibility that the different isolation conditions directly affect mTOR activity, whether an increase in the intracellular concentration of raptor could drive, even in cells growing in nutrient-rich conditions, the formation of stable mTOR-raptor complexes and inhibit mTOR kinase activity was determined. Overexpression of wild-type raptor, but not of a mutant that cannot interact with mTOR (mutant 1, FIGS. 6A-6B), resulted in an increased amount of raptor bound to mTOR and a decrease in its in vitro kinase activity (FIG. 8D). In addition, the overexpression of wild type, but not mutant raptor, decreased the in vivo phosphorylation state of S6K1 and increased the amount of 4E-BP1 bound to eIF-4E (FIGS. 8D and 8E), providing in vivo correlates of the inhibitory effects of raptor on the in vitro mTOR kinase activity. These results strongly indicate that a function of a tightly bound raptor leads to a decrease mTOR kinase activity and that raptor overexpression can circumvent the normal nutrient-regulated mechanism(s) that control the strength of the interaction.

Evidence that the mTOR-Raptor Complex Exists in Two Binding States

Despite the negative role of raptor in regulating the nTOR kinase activity, the experiments using the siRNA indicate that in vivo raptor also has a positive function in the mTOR pathway as decreases in raptor levels reduce S6K1 phosphorylation, cell size, rate of cell growth, and mTOR expression (FIGS. 7A-7E). Moreover, when a cross-linker was present during the lysis of cells raptor was isolated in a stiochiometric complex with mTOR (FIGS. 3A-3C). Thus, it is unlikely that the decrease amount of raptor recovered with mTOR isolated from cells grown in nutrient-rich conditions (FIG. 8A) reflects a dissociation of the mTOR-raptor complexes in vivo. This was proven to be the case, as the amounts of raptor recovered with mTOR isolated from leucine deprived or stimulated cells were similar when cells were lysed in the presence of the chemical cross-linker (FIG. 9A).

These findings show that in vivo raptor and mTOR physically interact under all nutrient conditions and indicate that mTOR-raptor complexes exist in at least two nutrient-determined states with differential stability: an unstable complex that does not survive in vitro isolation and a stable complex that does. As nutrient-rich conditions decreased the amount of raptor recovered with mTOR, it is likely that nutrients lead to the formation of the unstable complex. Evidence for these two binding states was sought by asking if any of the raptor mutants identified, formed complexes with mTOR that were permanently in the unstable or stable state. A mutant that forms an unstable complex with mTOR was searched for by screening the mutants for those that are recovered with mTOR only when cells are lysed in the presence of a cross-linker (FIG. 9B). Only one mutant (mutant 5) had this characteristic, indicating that in vivo mutant 5 does associate with mTOR but that the interaction does not survive the in vitro isolation conditions. As expected, the small residual interaction of mutant 5 with mTOR was no longer sensitive to levels of leucine in the media (FIG. 9C). Next, a mutant that forms a stable complex with mTOR irrespective of nutrient conditions was searched for. Of the two raptor mutants (mutants 4 and 7) that associate with mTOR in the absence of a cross-linker (FIG. 9B), the interaction of mutant 4 was not sensitive to leucine levels while that of mutant 7 was still regulated (FIG. 9C). These findings indicate that mutants 5 and 4 form complexes similar to those found under nutrient-rich and -poor conditions, respectively. Complexes containing mutant 5 are in the unstable state characteristic of nutrient-rich conditions while those containing mutant 4 are in the stable state characteristic of nutrient-poor conditions.

Rapamycin Severely Weakens the mTOR-Raptor Interaction

In vivo, rapamycin, like nutrient deprivation, inhibits the activation of downstream effectors of mTOR, but exactly how the drug perturbs mTOR function is unknown. It was found that treatment of HEK293T cells with rapamycin or the addition of the drug to cell lysates significantly destabilized the mTOR-raptor complex (FIG. 10A). The effect was specific to rapamycin, as FK506, an immunosuppressant that also binds FKBP12 but does not target mTOR, had no effect on the interaction, nor did ethanol, the vehicle used for both drugs. However, when lysates were prepared in the presence of the cross-linker almost normal levels of raptor were recovered with mTOR (FIG. 10A). Therefore, as with nutrient stimulation and raptor mutant 5, rapamycin destabilizes the raptor-mTOR complex but does not abolish it in vivo.

The effect of increasing concentrations of rapamycin on the mTOR-raptor interaction in cells deprived of or stimulated with leucine was investigated in order to understand the inhibitory mechanism of rapamycin. Interestingly, irrespective of nutrient conditions, rapamycin dominantly destabilized the raptor-mTOR complex (FIG. 10B). The order of rapamycin addition and leucine deprivation did not matter as the drug had similar effects when it was added before or after leucine withdrawal. In addition, leucine-rich conditions enhanced the destabilizing effects of rapamycin, decreasing its EC50 for mTOR-raptor dissociation by about 3-fold when compared to leucine-poor conditions. A simple explanation for this latter result is that leucine-poor conditions lead to a decrease in the affinity between mTOR and FKBP12-rapamycin, likely by inducing a conformational change in the FKBP12-rapamycin binding site in mTOR. Alternatively, leucine deprivation likely increases the affinity between raptor and mTOR so that the complex is less susceptible to the destabilizing effects of FKBP12-rapamycin. The finding that the unstable and stable complexes found in nutrient-rich and poor conditions, respectively, are differentially sensitive to rapamycin provides further evidence that the raptor-mTOR complex can exist in two-binding states.

Discussion

Raptor Forms a Nutrient Sensitive Complex (NSC) with mTOR

Described herein is raptor, a 149-kDa protein that participates in the mTOR pathway and associates in a near stoichiometric ratio with mTOR to form a nutrient-sensitive complex (NSC). It was found that the strength of the association between raptor and mTOR modulates the kinase activity of mTOR and is controlled by cellular conditions known to regulate S6K1, such as nutrient availability, mitochondrial function and cell stress. The mTOR-raptor complex may have escaped prior detection because it is unstable under commonly used cell lysis solutions and is particularly sensitive to the detergent Triton X-100. Its identification was first made possible by stabilization of the association through the use of a reversible chemical cross-linker.

Raptor and mTOR associate under all cellular conditions but the stability of the complex changes with the activity of the pathway. Under nutrient-poor conditions the mTOR-raptor association is strong and high levels of the complexes are recovered even when cell lysates are prepared without the cross-linker. On the other hand, in nutrient-rich conditions, the association is weak and most of the complex readily falls apart in the absence of the cross-linker. These findings are consistent with a model in which mTOR and raptor are held together in a constitutive, easily disrupted association, which, under nutrient-poor conditions, is strengthened by an additional interaction(s) that also represses the kinase activity of mTOR. Thus, it is likely that at least two interactions exist between raptor and mTOR: a ‘constitutive’ interaction that is required for in vivo mTOR function and a ‘nutrient sensitive’ interaction that forms in the absence of nutrients and negatively regulates mTOR kinase activity (FIG. 10C). In support of this model, it was found that two raptor mutants associate with mTOR in ways that indicate that they have selective defects in the nutrient-sensitive interaction described above. The behavior of raptor mutant 5 is consistent with it having lost the nutrient-sensitive interaction and it appears to associate with mTOR only through the constitutive interaction. The behavior of raptor mutant 4 is consistent with it retaining both interactions but with the nutrient-sensitive interaction no longer being regulated by nutrients.

The molecular mechanisms by which raptor regulates mTOR function are unknown. The nutrient sensitive mTOR-raptor interaction could decrease the catalytic activity of mTOR by inducing a conformational change in the mTOR kinase domain (mechanism shown in FIG. 10C) or by sterically preventing substrates from accessing the mTOR active site. On the other hand, the constitutive interaction is clearly not required for in vitro kinase activity, since, as shown herein, raptor-depleted mTOR strongly phosphorylates S6K1. Previous studies have shown that to function in vivo mTOR requires more than its kinase activity because truncation and point mutants of mTOR that retain wild-type kinase activity cannot signal to S6K1 within mammalian cells (Brown et al., Nature 377:441-446 (1995); Sabatini et al., Science 284:1161-4. (1999)). The deletion and mutagenesis studies performed under nutrient-rich conditions and described herein, show that raptor makes extensive contacts with mTOR regions that are far from its kinase domain. Thus, it is likely that in vivo the constitutive mTOR-raptor interaction is required for a function other than mTOR kinase activity. A simple possibility, supported by the finding that a reduction in raptor levels also reduces mTOR levels, is that raptor is required for the proper folding and/or stability of mTOR. Raptor could also serve as an adaptor that brings substrates to the mTOR kinase domain and/or may be a determinant of the proper subcellular localization of mTOR.

Rapamycin Destabilizes the NSC Irrespective of Nutrient Conditions

Although rapamycin and nutrient deprivation similarly inhibit the activity of downstream components of the mTOR pathway, such as S6K and 4E-BP1, it was found that they have opposite effects on the mTOR-raptor interaction. Rapamycin destabilizes the interaction regardless of nutrient availability, and its potency for dissociation is increased under nutrient-rich conditions.

Several mechanisms can be proposed to account for the effects of FKBP12-rapamycin on the stability of the complex and to explain how the drug inhibits the pathway. Two appealing models will be considered here. In the first, FKBP12-rapamycin dislodges raptor from its nutrient-sensitive binding site on mTOR because it binds to mTOR at or near that site. By replacing raptor at this site, FKBP12-rapamycin would mimic raptor's inhibitory effect on the mTOR kinase that is manifested under nutrient poor conditions. A prediction of this model is that in vitro FKBP12-rapamycin should inhibit mTOR kinase activity, a result seen in many studies (Brown et al., Nature 377:441-446 (1995); Brunn et al., Nature 377:441-446 (1997); Brunn et al., Embo J. 15:5256-67 (1996); Burnett et al., PNAS 95:1432-1437. (1998); Isotani et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274:34493-8. (1999)). In the second model, FKBP12-rapamycin does not affect the nutrient-sensitive interaction but interferes with the constitutive mTOR-raptor interaction. Because this is a positive interaction required for the in vivo function of mTOR, its interference by FKBP12-rapamycin inhibits the pathway. Of course, it is also possible that rapamycin exerts its negative effects on the pathway independently of its perturbation of the mTOR-raptor complex, perhaps, as has been recently suggested (Fang et al., Science 294:1942-5 (2001)), by preventing the action of a small signaling molecule on mTOR.

Diverse Signals Converge on the Regulation of the NSC

How might changes in levels of diverse nutrients regulate the strength of the NSC association? Certainly, mTOR and/or raptor could be phosphorylated or modified by upstream ‘nutrient sensors’ that regulate their interaction. However, an alternate hypothesis is one in which the mTOR-raptor complex is itself the nutrient sensor. In this scenario, one or more intracellular molecules increase in concentration in nutrient-rich conditions and bind to raptor and/or mTOR, destabilizing the NSC and relieving raptor inhibition of the mTOR kinase (FIG. 10C). If a single molecular species sufficed to destabilize the interaction, its concentration would have to reflect the availability of both leucine and glucose, as well as the state of mitochondrial metabolism. Alternatively, destabilization could require several molecular species that are derived from distinct nutrients and act on multiple independent sites on the NSC. Because raptor and mTOR are large proteins with high potentials for small molecule-induced allosteric and conformational changes that may affect protein-protein interactions, the NSC appears well equipped for sensing multiple growth signals.

In this regard it is interesting that the mTOR-raptor interaction is mediated in part through the N-terminal portion of mTOR, which contains at least 16 HEAT repeats (Dennis et al., Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 9:49-54 (1999)). HEAT repeat-containing domains appear to posses substantial conformational flexibility and, for example, in β-importin undergo a twisting conformational change in superhelical structure that enables them to bind to distinct proteins for nuclear import (Lee et al., J. Mol. Biol. 302:251-64 9 (2000)). The importance of the HEAT motifs in the mTOR-raptor interaction might indicate that conformational changes in that region of mTOR play a role in regulating the nutrient-sensitive strength of the interaction. However, the results described herein also show that in addition to the HEAT repeats, sites in the C-terminal half of mTOR also contribute to the interaction.

It is worth noting that the interaction is exquisitely sensitive to the detergent Triton X-100. This indicates that a hydrophobic molecule, such as a lipid, plays a role in maintaining the interaction, or that Triton X-100 mimics a molecule that normally weakens it in vivo. Consistent with this possibility, mTOR is found in association with membrane fractions (Sabatini et al., Science 284:1161-4 (1999)), and phosphatidic acid (PA), a component of lipid membranes as well as a signaling molecule, has been shown to interact with mTOR and stimulate the pathway through unknown mechanisms (Fang et al., Science 294:1942-5 (2001)).

CONCLUSIONS

Using a chemical cross-linker and appropriate cell lysis conditions, it has been demonstrated that in vivo mTOR interacts with raptor, a protein that has a positive role required for the in vivo activity of the mTOR pathway and for cell growth. Under nutrient deprivation conditions, however, raptor also serves as a negative regulator of mTOR kinase activity. FKBP12-rapamycin may mimic the binding of raptor to a nutrient-sensitive site on mTOR, locking mTOR in the nutrient-poor state, or it may disrupt a constitutive interaction necessary for mTOR function. It is likely that the regulation of the mTOR-raptor interaction is a critical mechanism by which eukaryotic cells coordinate the rate of cell growth with different environmental conditions. Small molecules can be designed that perturb the mTOR-raptor association in subtler ways than rapamycin, allowing a finer pharmacological control of the TOR pathway than is currently possible.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims. 

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A method of identifying an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein comprising: a) contacting a cell which comprises a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a raptor protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the raptor protein, when expressed, interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent to be assessed; b) assessing growth rate or size of the cell by a method comprising measuring phosphorylation of a regulator of protein synthesis, wherein the regulator of protein synthesis is optionally S6 kinase 1, 4E-BP1, or both, wherein altered phosphorylation of a regulator of protein synthesis indicates that the agent alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises identifying an agent that inhibits an interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein wherein a decrease in growth rate or size of the cell compared to growth rate or size of a control cell indicates that the agent inhibits interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises identifying an agent that enhances an interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein wherein an increase in growth rate or size of the cell compared to growth rate and/or size of a control cell indicates that the agent enhances interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mTOR protein.
 16. A method of altering growth rate or size of a cell comprising (a) identifying an agent that alters interaction of a mammalian raptor protein with mammalian mTOR protein according to the method of claim 13; and (b) introducing the agent into the cell. 17-24. (canceled)
 25. The method of claim 13, wherein the raptor protein comprises an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:
 2. 26. The method of claim 13, wherein the cell is a mammalian cell.
 27. The method of claim 13, wherein the regulator of protein synthesis is S6 kinase 1, 4E-BP 1, or both.
 28. An isolated complex comprising (i) a chimeric polypeptide comprising a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2; and (ii) a mammalian mTOR polypeptide.
 29. The isolated complex of claim 28, wherein the chimeric polypeptide comprises a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:
 2. 30. The isolated complex of claim 28, wherein the chimeric polypeptide comprises an epitope tag.
 31. A composition comprising the isolated complex of claim 28 and an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to the chimeric polypeptide.
 32. A composition comprising the isolated complex of claim 28 and reagents suitable for performing a kinase assay.
 33. A composition comprising (a) an isolated complex comprising (i) a first polypeptide at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2; and (ii) a second polypeptide comprising a mammalian mTOR polypeptide; and (b) a buffer appropriate to preserve the interaction between the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2 and mTOR.
 34. The composition of claim 33, further comprising an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to the first or second mammalian polypeptide.
 35. The composition of claim 33, wherein the first polypeptide is identical to SEQ ID NO:
 2. 36. The composition of claim 33, wherein the first polypeptide or second polypeptide comprises an epitope tag.
 37. The composition of claim 33, further comprising reagents suitable for performing a kinase assay.
 38. A method of determining whether an agent alters the level of kinase activity of a raptor-mTOR complex in a cell comprising: a) contacting a cell which comprises a mammalian raptor protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2 wherein the mammalian raptor protein interacts with mTOR protein in the cell, with an agent; b) preparing a composition of claim 33 from the cell; c) assaying the kinase activity of the isolated complex, wherein an altered level of kinase activity compared to the kinase activity of a raptor-mTOR complex isolated from a control cell indicates that the agent alters the level of kinase activity of the raptor-mTOR complex.
 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the mammalian raptor protein comprises an amino acid sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:
 2. 40. The method of claim 38, wherein the mammalian raptor protein or mTOR protein comprises an epitope tag. 